Dhruva Space’s Thybolt Satellites Complete 15,000 Orbits

Dhruva Space, a Hyderabad-based space tech startup, has successfully completed its maiden mission with the Thybolt-1 and Thybolt-2 satellites. These satellites have securely deorbited after completing 15,000 orbits around Earth. Launched aboard ISRO’s PSLV C54 in November 2022, this achievement marks a significant milestone for the company.

The Thybolt satellites carried a Store-and-Forward payload, designed to receive messages from sensor nodes or remote ground stations. The satellites were built using Dhruva Space’s P-DoT platform, a picosatellite platform for satellites weighing between 1-24 kg. Dhruva Space also developed the P30 nanosatellite platform (1-30 kg) and the P90 platform (up to 300 kg). These satellites were entirely constructed in Hyderabad with the help of around 20 MSMEs.

Sanjay Nekkanti, CEO of Dhruva Space, highlighted the advancements enabled by the in-house developed P-DoT platform in research, constellation development, and application-agnostic use by customers. Dhruva Space is now focusing on its first hosted payload mission, LEAP-1, scheduled to launch later this year via ISRO. This mission will utilize the P-30 nanosatellite, space-qualified via ISRO’s PSLV C58 POEM-3 on January 1, 2024, through the LEAP-TD mission.

Founded 12 years ago by Sanjay Nekkanti, Krishna TejaPenamakuru, AbhayEgoor, and Chaitanya Dora Supureddy, Dhruva Space specializes in creating satellite infrastructure and platforms compatible with any rocket and payload, operable from ground stations worldwide. In April, Dhruva Space raised approximately $9.3 million (Rs 78 crore) from investors like Indian Angel Network Alpha Fund and Blue Ashva Capital, bringing its Series A funding to about $14 million (Rs 123 crore). These funds will support the establishment of a 280,000 sq-ft satellite manufacturing facility in Hyderabad, as well as acquisitions and product improvements.

This fundraising aligns with the Indian government’s policy push to open up the private space sector, reflecting the growing value of India’s space economy, which IN-SPACe estimates will reach $44 billion by 2023. The new facility and funds will enhance Dhruva Space’s manufacturing capabilities and expand its product offerings.