Dhruva Space to supply Solar Arrays to power Bellatrix Aerospace Orbital Transfer Vehicles

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PARIS, FR (21 September 2022)‍

Dhruva Space and Bellatrix Aerospace have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) cementing the longstanding partnership between the two Indian Space-technology startups. Bellatrix Aerospace will use Dhruva Space’s spacecraft Solar Arrays to power the Pushpak series of Orbital Transfer Vehicles (OTVs) being developed by the company.

Solar power generation is the predominant means of power generation on Space assets. Unlike the conventional Earth-bound solar panels, the formulation of spacecraft solar panels is much more complex, thus propelling more interest in Space solar power (SSP).

The Indian space industry has been rapidly evolving since the government policy initiatives to open the sector for private participation. Bellatrix Aerospace, through Pushpak, expands its Propulsion technology to provide in-orbit transportation for precise injection of satellites for constellation deployment.

Dhruva Space has been building spacecraft solar arrays for micro and mini class of satellites, and in 2020, the company became the first private Indian company to secure an end-to-end order for Space-grade solar arrays, highlighting the private Space sector’s expansion into the Energy sector. Dhruva Space also qualified its 1U Satellite Orbital Deployer on ISRO’s PSLV C53 mission, which can be integrated with the Pushpak for deployment of CubeSats.

Both Dhruva Space and Bellatrix Aerospace are working towards the indegenous development of systems in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for Make-in-India. The exchange of the MoU took place at the recently concluded Bengaluru Space Expo (BSX) 2022 in the presence of Dr. Sudheer Kumar N, Director, Capacity Building Programme Office (CBPO), Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO); and the same has been officialised at International Astronautical Congress 2022 in Paris.

Bellatrix Aerospace’sCOO Yashas Karanam and CEO Rohan M Ganapathy with Dhruva Space’s CEO Sanjay Nekkanti, COO Krishna Teja Penamakuru, and CTO Abhay Egoor

Present at the exchange were Dhruva Space’s CEO Sanjay Nekkanti, CTO Abhay Egoor, and Bellatrix Aerospace’s CEO Rohan M Ganapathy and COO Yashas Karanam.

Speaking on the partnership, Sanjay Nekkanti, CEO, Dhruva Space, said, “We are excited to partner with Bellatrix Aerospace, and to fly together to Space. The Indian Private Space industry is shifting gears to aggrandise the US$40 billion Space economy in the country by 2030. Dhruva Space will work on powering more spacecraft in the coming decade.”

Rohan M Ganapathy, CEO, Bellatrix Aerospace, “ISRO had dominated small satellite launches over the last decade. Building on the high reliability of these launch services, Bellatrix is keen to provide point-to-point space transportation services through the Pushpak series of OTVs. Partnering with Dhruva Space ensures major system realisation within India, in line with our AtmaNirbhar Bharat efforts."
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About Bellatrix Aerospace:

Bellatrix Aerospace, is a Bengaluru-based private aerospace manufacturer and small satellite company, headquartered in Bengaluru, India. Established in 2015, the company was founded by Rohan M Ganapathy and Yashas Karanam.

Bellatrix Aerospace specialises in in-space propulsion systems and orbital launch vehicles. Based out of Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, the company is constantly evolving to facilitate the development of key technologies in electric propulsion, new generation propellants, and launch solutions.

About Dhruva Space Private Limited:

Dhruva Space, founded in 2012, is a full-stack space engineering solutions provider based in Hyderabad, India. The company is active across Space, Launch, and Ground segments, and supports civilian and defence clients worldwide.

Dhruva Space offers satellite/s coupled 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.

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