A Dual Anniversary! Thybolt Mission and Dhruva Space's Founding Day

Today marks an extraordinary moment in Dhruva Space's journey, as we celebrate not just one, but two monumental milestones.

Reflecting on Team Dhruva Space's journey

First, we commemorate the 12th anniversary of our founding, a day that represents the beginning of Team Dhruva Space's shared vision to enable the ease of access to Space.

The evolution of the Indian Space Programme in recent years mirrors the growth of Dhruva Space as a prominent emerging player in the private sector. This growth would not be possible without the enduring support from the Government of India; ISRO - Indian Space Research Organization ; Indian Space Regulator IN-SPACe ; the investors who have trusted us; and our customers, partners and vendors who not only believed in us but are actively working with us.

Thybolt Mission, milestones in motion!

Equally significant, today also marks the two-year anniversary of the successful launch of our maiden satellite mission, the Thybolt Mission — the successful launch and in-orbit deployment of Thybolt-1 and Thybolt-2 satellites onboard ISRO PSLV-C54.

The Thybolt Mission was declared successful, and as of June 2024, both Thybolt-1 and Thybolt-2 concluded their endeavours after a combined 15,000+ orbits and have deorbited successfully and securely. Driving the success of this mission, Dhruva Space leveraged technologies developed indigenously by the company across the Space, Launch and Ground Segments.

About P-DoT

The Thybolt Mission was made possible by our Low Earth Orbit-optimised, Made-in-India, and in-house-developed P-DoT (Polaris Demonstrator of Technology) cubesat platform (scalable from 0.5U to 16U). The payload on the satellie was a novel Store-and-Forward payload receiving messages from sensor nodes or remote Ground Stations.

Goosebumps! Have a listen of Morse code data transmitted from our Thybolt Mission satellites:

Use-cases

The P-DoT platform aims to to open new frontiers in Space-based applications, particularly for low bit rate IoT connectivity.

Dhruva Space is able to drive innovation across key sectors by enabling low-bit-rate IoT applications globally, supporting reliable M2M communications in remote areas.

The platform's potential contributions to Earth Observation can empower data-driven solutions in agriculture, urban planning, disaster management, and climate monitoring, helping organisations make informed decisions.

Dhruva Space also supports Scientific research by providing institutions the tools to build and test technology demonstrations, advancing Space Technology capabilities.

Additionally, the P-DoT platform can ensure secure communications in regions with limited connectivity, particularly in Defence and disaster management, enabling effective response and coordination in critical situations where reliable communication is essential.

🧑🤝🧑 Voices from the Team

Just three days before the launch, our team expressed their nervousness and excitement – in their native languages! Check out the video below:

Mission success:

Fast forward to mid-2024, when we bid our mighty satellites goodbye:

... and a couple more lingering thoughts!

When the Indian private Space sector was still in its early stages, there was understandably some skepticism surrounding startups. However, when our vendors recognised the potential of our mission, they stepped up in a big way. They went above and beyond, working late into the night to help bring Thybolt-1 and Thybolt-2 to life. Throughout the R&D phase, they didn't just support us — they learned alongside us, adapting and growing with the project. When the launch day came, our vendors were just as invested as we were, watching the lift-off and deployment live from their own facilities. The success of the Thybolt Mission marked a turning point. Now, every vendor we had partnered with proudly mentions their role in that achievement. It's truly remarkable how that collaboration has become a pillar of our work and continues to influence the direction of our current and future projects. The relationships we've built through the Thybolt mission have been instrumental in shaping the path forward for Dhruva Space.

-- Tejas Hakke , Production Manager

Having seen the concept of Dhruva Space materialise increased our drive to push the boundaries in our quest to become a world-class Space Engineering company. We also see the respect and admiration of brand Dhruva, in our customers' eyes. Now, we are more confident than ever, thinking big – and we are grateful for the support and encouragement of our well wishers. It is time to bring Space into mainstream conversations!

-- Avinash Maramraju , Additional Director - Business Development & Sales

Major Mentions

From the moment Thybolts launched till their deorbiting, the mission captured the imagination of Space lovers across India, with prominent leaders commending the team on their success: Hon'ble Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi , Hon'ble Minister of Road Transport & Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari , Hon'ble Minister of Tourism, Culture & Development of North Eastern Region of India Shri G Kishan Reddy, and Hon'ble Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Nara Chandrababu Naidu , and Hon'ble Member of Legislative Assembly of Telangana Legislative Assembly Kalvakuntla Taraka Rama Rao / KTR , among others.

Space luminaries also congratulated the team: Shri S Somanath, Chairman, ISRO - Indian Space Research Organization ; and Secretary, Department of Space; Dr Pawan Goenka , Chairman, IN-SPACe ; and Mr. Enrico Palermo , Head, Australian Space Agency .

Additionally, the media has been a key partner in sharing our story with equal passion and excitement.

Major outlets including but certainly not limited to The New York Times , moneycontrol.com , The Times Of India , The Hindu , The New Indian Express , and AIM , provided in-depth coverage, closely following the Thybolt Mission. Probably one of the most valued aspects of the coverage: journalists have not only reported on the technical achievements but also captured the spirit of the mission.

What's ahead?

🏢 Dhruva Space has begun construction of the first phase (120,000 square feet) of our 280,000 square-foot spacecraft manufacturing facility. The first phase caters to Research & Development facilities with laboratories and workspaces comprising 60,000 square feet; an Assembly, Integration, and Testing (AIT) facility for microsat-class spacecrafts, occupying 30,000 square feet; and a Space-grade Solar Array manufacturing facility, also covering 30,000 square feet.

🛰️ The inaugural trio of Dhruva Space's hosted payload missions — LEAP-1, LEAP-2, and LEAP-3 — onboard our P-30 satellite bus, are currently in the pipeline. As a core component of the Launching Expeditions for Aspiring Payloads (LEAP) initiative, we have unveiled a strategically sponsored hosted payload program. This program facilitates the integration of at least 1U of payload capacity per mission, with the sponsorship provided by Dhruva Space for each respective LEAP mission. This initiative encompasses end-to-end technical support, robust long-term collaborative partnership frameworks, and funding mechanisms targeting Space innovators! Furthermore, it aligns seamlessly with the Government of India's Performance-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, encompassing the Aerospace and Semiconductor sectors, thereby fostering a conducive ecosystem for technological advancement and industrial synergy.

Share our space

That’s it for now, but stay tuned! Share this newsletter with your network so that they can keep up with what is going on at Dhruva Space and across India’s private Space-tech sector.

Feel free to send over some feedback by emailing info@dhruvaspace.com!

Thank you for reading!

-- Divya-Kala Bhavani, Director - PR, Comms & Marketing, Dhruva Space