Launch · Government, Defense & Space

Dhruva Space launches first commercial mission LEAP-1

By Startup Enthusiast · 4 August 2025

What they do

Dhruva Space builds satellite platforms that can launch on any rocket and carry any payload

Its first commercial mission LEAP-1 flies on a SpaceX Falcon 9 in Q3 2025 with two payloads

The mission marks Dhruva's shift from tech demos to commercial satellite deployments

Dhruva Space will launch its first commercial mission, called LEAP-1, in Q3 2025.
The mission will fly aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
It carries two payloads: Akula Tech's Nexus-01 AI module and Esper Satellites' OTR-2 hyperspectral imager.
Both payloads ride on Dhruva's indigenously built P-30 satellite platform.
The P-30 platform was qualified in orbit during ISRO's PSLV-C58 POEM-3 mission in January 2024.
LEAP-1 marks Dhruva's shift from technology demonstrations to commercial satellite deployments.

The mission represents an Indo-Australian strategic partnership in space technology.
ISRO and the Australian Space Agency engaged in September 2022, leading to interactions with Australian space startups.
Dhruva is seeing growing interest from customers in India, Europe, and Australia.
Private space players in India, Italy, and France are also showing traction.

Dhruva builds satellite infrastructure and platforms that can launch from any rocket, carry any payload, and operate from any ground station.
It offers Ground Station-as-a-Service (GSaaS) and Integrated Space Operations and Command Suite (ISOCS) for real-time mission management and payload data downlinking.
Its applications include defence, disaster response, agriculture, mining, and environmental management.
The company is 13 years old and has raised $15M from investors including Indian Angel Network Alpha Fund and Blue Ashva Capital.

Product: Full-stack space engineering across spacecraft engineering, launch integration, ground station infrastructure, and space applications.
Customers: Satellite and space-sector customers, including commercial and institutional buyers.
How it makes money: Earns revenue from space hardware, systems integration, and related services.
What sets it apart: Offers end-to-end space capabilities across the full value chain.
Operations: Designs, integrates, and supplies satellite systems and related infrastructure from Hyderabad.