BITS Hyderabad joins hands with Dhruva Space to build Satellite Communication Technologies Research and Development Centre

HYDERABAD, TS, INDIA (NOVEMBER 29, 2021) BITS Pilani Hyderabad has taken a leap forward in building an ecosystem for Space Technology research in collaboration with Dhruva Space Private Limited. The Dhruva Space Research and Development Centre for Satellite Communication Technologies has been announced on November 2021.

The Dhruva Space SATCOM Research and Development Center has already established an Earth Station that can be configured to operate in the L/C/S & X Bands. Several academic institutions in India & overseas have been developing small satellites carrying communication payloads, however the data transmission rates are usually limited to a few kbps. The earth station established at BITS Hyderabad will not only support data rates in the order of Mbps but also pave way for testing newer technologies in the satellite communications.

Dhruva Space Private Limited is a full-stack space engineering company which has been engaged in extensive research and development for easing access to space in furtherance of the Hon'ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of enabling launching of 75 student missions by August 2022. Building on this vision further, Dhruva Space has taken up several initiatives to foster a strong Industry & Academia collaboration. A few of these initiatives have led to submission of joint proposals to the ISRO Human Spaceflight directorate Announcement of Opportunities, ultimately propelling the fruition of Dhruva Space's Industry-Academia collaborative framework.

The state-of-the-art facilities on the BITS Hyderabad campus along with the expertise of the industry leaders are envisioned to shape the leaders on futuristic technologies associated with Aerospace, Space & Defense. The sprawling campus in Hyderabad has a Government of India supported technology incubation center which shall continue to contribute in supporting the students & professors looking towards the path of entrepreneurship.

Speaking on the occasion, Krishna Teja, Chief Operations Officer and Co-Founder, Dhruva Space Private Limited, states, “India’s efforts in building the space-technology ecosystem have expedited with opening up of the sector to private players. Research and development is the need of the hour in ensuring efficiency and economically viable solutions for the increasing reliance on Space Resources. We at Dhruva Space are working with all players to ease access to space by working on technologies of crucial importance in helping achieve better economics and mission outcomes.”

G Sundar, Director, Birla Institute of Technology & Science Pilani, Hyderabad, states, "Several academic institutions in the country and abroad have been developing small satellites carrying communication payloads. However, the data transmission rates are usually limited to a few kilobits per second. The Earth Station established as part of the agreement with Dhruva Space will not only support data rates in the order of megabits per second, but also pave way for testing newer technologies in the satellite communications. The Hyderabad Campus is looking forward to contributing to the R&D in the space tech sector and to the space economy with such collaboration."

About Dhruva Space Private Limited:

Dhruva Space, founded in 2012, is a full-stack space engineering solutions provider based in Hyderabad, India, and in Graz, Austria. The company is active across space, launch, and ground segments and supports civilian and defense clients worldwide.

Dhruva Space offers Satellite/s teamed with Earth Station/s and Launch Services as an integrated solution or individually as technology solutions to power space-based applications on Earth and beyond.

In October 2020, Dhruva Space was recognized with the National Startup Award by the Government of India for its efforts in Satellite and Space Technology, and in October 2021, the company raised INR 22 crore in funding led by Indian Angel Network (IAN) Fund and Blue Ashva Capital.

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About BITS Hyderabad

The Birla Institute of Technology & Science, BITS Pilani is an all-India Institute for higher education in all areas of engineering, science and commerce. Founded as a small school in the early 1900s by the late Mr G.D.Birla – an eminent industrialist and a participant in Indian freedom struggle – BITS has three major campuses: in Pilani, Rajasthan; Medchal, Hyderabad; and Sancoale, Goa.

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Contacts

Press & Media, Dhruva Space

Divya Kala Bhavani

divya@dhruvaspace.com

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