Othisis, a two-year-old Indian startup, has carried out a stationary test-fire of a 5 kN rocket engine made with selective laser melting. The engine burns liquid oxygen and methane and is meant for a reusable vertical take-off, vertical landing vehicle. The test followed several failed attempts.
Key facts
5 kN thrust, liquid oxygen and methane propellants
Stationary test-fire after several failed attempts
Company founded about two years ago by Syed Affan
Context Selective laser melting builds metal parts by melting thin powder layers with a laser, here layers of roughly 0.05 to 0.06 mm.
What was tested?
The engine has no name yet. It is a 5 kN fully cryogenic design using liquid oxygen and methane, with the chilled fuel loop used for cooling. Othisis plans it for a reusable VTVL vehicle.
Why methane and oxygen?
The report notes a stronger burn than kerosene-oxygen and almost no residue, which eases maintenance and turnaround. Drawbacks are lower fuel density, needing larger tanks, and harder storage and handling at low temperature. Othisis reportedly holds MoUs for payload flights.
What it means
The report gives no data on thrust duration, materials or part counts, so the test shows feasibility rather than maturity. For European manufacturers, the point is that metal powder bed fusion is now routine for small rocket engines even at young startups, but flight qualification and repeatable quality remain the hard parts.
Frequently asked questions
What did Othisis test?
A stationary test-fire of a 5 kN fully cryogenic engine using liquid oxygen and methane, made with selective laser melting.
Is the engine ready for flight?
The report describes only a ground test after several failed attempts and says the engine has no name yet.