New Delhi: Dhruva Space has announced that former ISRO Chairman S Somanath has joined the New Space startup as a Distinguished Advisor. The Hyderabad-based space technology company specialises in small satellite systems, ground stations, and full-stack solutions. Somanath has had a long association with Dhruva Space. During his tenure as ISRO chairman, Somanath actively supported India’s burgeoning commercial space ecosystem through policies that encouraged collaborations between ISRO and non-governmental private entities. Dhruva Space benefited from this push, launching its technology demonstration missions on ISRO’s PSLV flights. A prominent example is the LEAP-TD mission launched on the POEM-3 platform on the PSLV-C58 flight in January 2024.
The payload, based on the P30 satellite bus by Dhruva Space performed successfully in orbit, and validated the capabilities of the startup as a hosted payload provider. Somanath interacted with the Dhruva team at the Sriharikota spaceport during the preparations leading up to the launch, highlighting ISRO’s role in nurturing innovation by private industries. In 2023, before retiring, Somanath visited the HQ of Dhruva Space in Hyderabad and interacted with the team, reviewing technology stacks and providing strategic guidance. His expertise in launch vehicles, systems engineering and space policy brings technical depth and vision to Dhruva Space.
What is next for Dhruva Space?
Most recently, Dhruva Space lost its Polar Access 1 mission when ISRO’s PSLV-C62 flight deviated from its path earlier in the year. Dhruva Space is among three New Space startups in India tapped for developing satellite buses for IN-SPACe’s Satellite-Bus-as-a-Service programme. Dhruva Space aims to rapidly scale its satellite manufacturing facility to enable mass production of satellites up to 500 KG. Dhruva Space is catering to civil, defence and international commercial customers, and has signed a contract to buy 14 satellite thrusters from the French company Exotrail. In 2026, Dhruva Space aims to launch the LEAP2 mission to demonstrate the HORUS star tracker for the French company Sodern ArianeGroup.