Aug 12, 2025
10
mins read
Dhruva Space, a Hyderabad-based space technology startup, is set to launch its first commercial satellite mission, LEAP-1 in the third quarter of 2025. This mission marks a pivotal transition for the 2012-founded company from technology demonstrations to customer-driven deployments.
LEAP-1 mission (Launching Expeditions with Aspiring Payloads) utilises Dhruva’s indigenously developed P-30 nanosatellite platform, which was successfully space-qualified during the LEAP-TD test mission on ISRO’s PSLV-C58 in January 2024.
The mission is the outcome of a trilateral collaboration – an Indo-Australian-American partnership symbolized in its mission patch. Dhruva Space has teamed up with two Australian startups, Akula Tech and Esper Satellites, to host their advanced payloads, showcasing AI-driven on-board data processing and hyperspectral Earth observation capabilities.
For more information on ISRO's advents check out our blog: Human Outer Planetary Exploration (HOPE), Objectives & Significance
Dhruva Space announced that its first commercial satellite mission under the “Launching Expeditions with Aspiring Payloads (LEAP)” series is slated for 2025 in partnership with an Australian client The LEAP initiative underscores India’s private space startups’ growing role in delivering end-to-end satellite missions, in line with recent reforms enabling private sector participation in space.
Table of content
Launch Vehicle & Timeline:
LEAP-1 is scheduled for launch in Q3 2025 aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, marking Dhruva Space’s first commercial satellite mission.
This will be a landmark mission for India’s private space industry, as it rides on an American launch vehicle in a mission enabled by recent space-sector reforms.
Hosted Payloads:
The mission will carry two distinct customer payloads on Dhruva’s P-30 satellite bus
Akula Tech’s “Nexus-01” AI module
Esper Satellites’ “OTR-2” hyperspectral imager
Both payloads are developed by Australian partners, reflecting significant Indo-Australian cooperation (with U.S. launch support).
The Nexus-01 brings an advanced on-board artificial intelligence system, while OTR-2 is a cutting-edge hyperspectral Earth observation camera.
On-board AI & Real-time Analytics:
Akula Tech’s Nexus-01 payload will provide
unprecedented on-orbit AI/ML processing capabilities.
analyze sensor data in real time
detect events (e.g. wildfires or anomalies) rapidly,
even retrain its models on orbit using new data.
This enables near-real-time insights for time-critical applications like fire detection, disaster response, and spectral analysis of Earth’s surface.
Such autonomous in-satellite processing could drastically reduce the lag in decision-making for defense and emergency services, as noted by Akula Tech’s team.
Hyperspectral Imaging & EarthTones API:
Esper’s OTR-2 imager will capture high-resolution hyperspectral images across dozens of spectral bands, offering rich data for sectors like agriculture (crop health), mining (mineral detection), water resource management, forestry, and environmental monitoring.
The data will be accessible through Esper’s EarthTones API, providing users on-demand access to spectrally-rich Earth observation insights.
Esper’s CEO highlighted that achieving this fourth satellite mission under USD 1 million cost proves advanced hyperspectral imaging can be affordable and scalable.
Heritage and Validation:
The LEAP-1 mission builds on Dhruva Space’s successful LEAP-TD (Technology Demonstrator) mission, which flew on ISRO’s PSLV-C58 (XPoSat launch) on 1 January 2024.
During that flight, Dhruva’s P-30 platform and its subsystems were tested in orbit via ISRO’s POEM orbital module.
The LEAP-TD experiment validated critical systems including the on-board computer, UHF telemetry-transceiver, attitude control (with an imported reaction wheel), and power management – by transmitting telemetry back to ground stations.
Know more about recent developments in Space tech by reading our blog: NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar: NISAR Mission, Objectives, Characteristics, Benefits & Significance
Below is a summary of the main payloads and their features on the LEAP-1 mission:
Payload (Mission Role) | Developed By | Key Functions & Applications |
Nexus-01 AI Module (On-board AI) | Akula Tech (Melbourne, Australia) | - Autonomous data processing on satellite (AI/ML). - Real-time analysis of sensor data (e.g. detecting wildfires, anomalies). - On-orbit model re-training and algorithm updates for continuous improvement-sensitive applications: disaster management, defense surveillance, climate monitoring. |
OTR-2 Hyperspectral Imager (Earth Observation) | Esper Satellites (Australia) | - High-resolution hyperspectral imaging across dozens of bands. - Provides detailed spectral data for agriculture (crop health), mining (mineral detection), environmental monitoring, etc.. - Data accessible via EarthTones API for easy integration into user applications. - Demonstrates low-cost (< $1 million) implementation of advanced Earth observation tech. |
Private Sector Milestone: LEAP-1 is the first full-scale commercial satellite mission by an Indian private startup using an international launch vehicle.
Policy Outcome: Reflects the success of IN-SPACe reforms and privatization efforts enabling startups to launch satellites.
Global Positioning: CEO Sanjay Nekkanti stated LEAP-1 mission will place Dhruva Space at the forefront of global commercial satellite operations.
International Collaboration: Strengthens Indo-Australian space ties, initiated partly by the Australian Space Agency chief’s 2022 visit.
Dual-Use Capability: Offers civil and potential defense applications on a cost-effective satellite platform.
National Significance: Seen as a step toward cementing India’s status as a fast-growing space power.
Scalable Model: Plans for LEAP-2, LEAP-3, etc. aim to attract customers from India, Europe, and beyond.
Dhruva Space – Award-winning private Indian spacetech company providing full-stack space engineering solutions: satellite platforms, launch services, ground stations, solar arrays, and imagery.
Founded: 2012, with a vision to drive the privatization and commercialization of India’s space sector.
Headquarters: Hyderabad, Telangana.
Milestones:
Successfully qualified satellite buses on ISRO missions.
First Indian firm to host foreign commercial payloads on a private satellite platform.
Supported by ISRO, IN-SPACe, and Australian Space Agency.
Expansion: Developing a 280,000 sq. ft satellite manufacturing facility in Shamshabad to build spacecraft up to 500 kg.
Dhruva Space’s LEAP-1 mission exemplifies the growing capabilities of India’s private space sector and its integration into the global space economy. By leveraging an indigenous satellite platform (P-30 satellite platform) proven on an ISRO mission and collaborating with international partners for cutting-edge payloads, LEAP-1 highlights a model of cost-effective innovation and strategic cooperation. The mission is poised to deliver practical benefits – from sharper disaster response to better crop management – showcasing how space technology can directly aid governance and industry. As India pursues self-reliance in space and fosters startups under initiatives like IN-SPACe, missions like LEAP-1 are pivotal in “making India a hub for small satellite launches and services”, reinforcing India’s status as a fast-emerging space power.
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