Why in news?
Hyderabad‑based private firm Dhruva Space announced its first commercial satellite launch, the LEAP‑1 mission, to be carried aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket in 2025.
Overview of the mission
- LEAP stands for “Launch, Experiment, Analyse, Progress.” It will deploy a small satellite built on Dhruva’s P‑30 platform.
- The mission includes two main payloads: Nexus‑01, an AI/ML module for real‑time geospatial data processing, and OTR‑2, a hyperspectral imaging sensor developed with Akula Tech (USA) and Esper Satellites (Australia).
- Dhruva’s Integrated Space Operations & Command Suite (ISOCS) will control the mission from the ground.
Objectives
- Demonstrate real‑time analytics of Earth‑observation data for applications in agriculture, defence, disaster monitoring and urban planning.
- Showcase low‑cost hosted payload missions, enabling customers to test instruments without building their own satellites.
- Highlight India’s growing private space capabilities and international cooperation with Australia and the United States.
About Dhruva Space
- Founded in 2012, Dhruva Space builds small satellite platforms and ground‑station solutions. It is recognised by ISRO and has launched technology demonstrators on India’s PSLV.
- The company is setting up a large satellite manufacturing facility near Hyderabad’s Shamshabad.
The LEAP‑1 mission marks another step in India’s commercial space journey, complementing government initiatives like IN-SPACe.
