Dhruva Space, a full-stack space-tech company, has raised Rs 78 crore in its Series A2 round led by IAN Alpha Fund, along with participation from existing investors. With this, the space-tech startup has raised a total of Rs 123 Crores in Series A funding. Dhruva Space is setting up the first phase (1.2 lakh square-foot) of their 2.8 lakh-square-foot spacecraft manufacturing facility in Hyderabad to invest in continued innovation upon the existing product line to go to the global market. In the last two years, Dhruva Space has completed four space missions including the Thybolt satellites mission in November 2022 and the LEAP-TD mission on 1 January 2024, which observed the validation of the company’s P-30 nanosatellite platform.
Dhruva Space is excited to announce the successful space-qualification of its P-30 Satellite Platform, launched as part of the ‘Launching Expeditions for Aspiring Payloads – Technology Demonstrator’ (LEAP-TD) Payload on board ISRO’s PSLV-C58 POEM-3 mission. The launch occurred at 09:10 IST on 01 January 2024 from the First Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
The LEAP-TD mission utilized a derivative of the Dhruva Space P-30 satellite platform integrated into ISRO’s PSLV Orbital Experimental Module 3 (POEM-3). This configuration allowed for in-orbit scientific experiments using the spent PS4 stage as an orbital platform. The POEM platform is equipped with standard interfaces for power generation, telemetry, tele-command, stabilization, orbit keeping, and orbit maneuvering, making it suitable for designing, developing, and validating experimental payloads. This mission was undertaken in collaboration with IN-SPACe and ISRO, who previously announced opportunities for hosting payloads on POEM missions.
The successful mission confirmed the viability of the P-30 platform and its subsystems in orbit, including the On-Board Computer, UHF TT&C Module, UHF Beacon, Attitude Control System with a Reaction Wheel from Comat, and Power Distribution Board. The mission’s success was further confirmed through telemetry and beacon data received at the Ground Station of the Indian Institute of Space Science & Technology (IIST) in Trivandrum, as well as directly from the POEM platform.
This significant achievement has paved the way for Dhruva Space to offer hosted payload solutions for space missions globally through its LEAP initiative. The first satellite mission under this initiative, LEAP-1, has already been planned and is expected to launch soon.
Hosted payload services involve a portion of a satellite, like a sensor or instrument, owned by a party other than the primary satellite operator. These services offer numerous benefits, including reduced timelines, cost savings, risk reduction, and shared operations.
Sanjay Nekkanti and Krishna Teja Penamakuru from Dhruva Space expressed their excitement and gratitude towards the collaborative efforts across government and industry partners that made this mission a success. They emphasized the role of the vibrant ecosystem supported by the Government of India, the Department of Space, ISRO, VSSC, NSIL, and IN-SPACe in advancing India’s capability in small satellite technology.