Thybolt Mission

On 26 November, 2022, at 11:56 am, onboard ISRO PSLV-C54, Dhruva Space launched and successfully deployed the Thybolt Mission to validate its P-DoT Satellite Platform and to enable many more amateur radio enthusiasts to be able to operate, test and learn in the journey of the company's first satellite mission. Dhruva Space anticipates this will encourage individuals, institutions and corporations to embrace the knowledge that amateur radio can contribute to their overall development.

The Thybolt Mission uses Dhruva Space's P-DoT Satellite Platform for conducting a sequence of technology demonstrations, as well as to enable advancements in research, constellation development and application agnostics use by customers.

To drive the success of this mission, Dhruva Space leverages technologies developed indigenously by the company across the Space, Launch and Ground Segments.

The Thybolt Mission has been declared successful, and as of June 2024, both Thybolt-1 and Thybolt-2 have concluded their endeavours after a combined 15,000 orbits and have deorbited successfully and securely.

Dhruva Space
Dhruva Space

About Thybolt-1 & Thybolt-2

The Thybolt-1 and Thybolt-2 cubesats are made on the Dhruva Space-developed P-DoT system. This is a 0.5U Spacecraft bus that includes a communication payload to enable rapid technology demonstration and constellation development for multiple users. It also demonstrates Store-and-Forward functionality for authorised users in the amateur frequency band.

This compact, scalable platform leverages a powerful processor and Space-grade components that enables high agility as well as reliable and robust operations.  

The payload used on the satellite is a novel Store-and-Forward payload receiving messages from sensor nodes or remote Ground Stations; it also stores the aforementioned messages on-boardflash memory for downlinking them at a network connected ground station.

What is amateur radio? 

Amateur radio is a popular technical hobby and volunteer public service that uses designated radio frequencies for non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communications.

Amateur Radio – also known as HAM (the combined initials of scientists Hertz, Armstrong, and Marconi) Radio – is the only hobby governed by an international treaty. As a radio amateur, one is able to transmit radio signals on a number of frequency bands allocated specifically to the radio amateurs. One such use-case is communication through amateur space satellites or with the International Space Station (which carries an amateur radio station).

Visit our Thybolt For Hams page for more information.

Salient features
Stowed dimensions
110.0 x 107.0 x 65.5 (mm) cuboid
Mass
<750 g
Orbit
Near circular polar sun-synchronous orbit
Structure
Anodised aluminium structure
Solar panel
Body-mounted Solar Panels
Actuators
Magnetic torquers
Sensors
Coarse sun sensors
Communications
UHF for Telemetry, Telecommand, and Store-and-Forward messages in UHF Band
Antenna
Deployable UHF dipole
Beacon
435.360 MHz
Telemetry
436.175 MHz
Uplink
434.400 MHz
TTC system
Antenna
UHF Transceiver
Tx, Rx
430-440 MHz
Data rate Tx
4800 bps
Data rate Rx
1200 bps
Modulation
2FSK
Output Power
Up to 30 dBm
Low Noise Amplifier gain
Up to 15 dBm

Chief Patrons

Star Fleet Amateur Radio Club (VU2ISL) 
Sanjay Nekkanti (VU3ISS)
Krishna Teja Penamakuru (VU3ECT)
Abhay Egoor (VU3ECX)
Jyothir Adithya Rao (VU3ECS)
Deepak Kishanrao Inde (VU2EKV)

National Institute of Amateur Radio (VU2NRO)
Ram Mohan Suri (VU2MYH)

 SSM College of Engineering (VU2SYE) 
J. Jaganpradeep

Indian Academy of Communication and Disaster Management (VU2MQT)
Rinku Nag Biswas (VU2JFB)

West Bengal Radio Club (VU2WB)
Ambarish Nag Biswas (VU2JFA)

Aniruddha's Academy of Disaster Management
Mahesh R. Atale (VU2XFE)

Indian Institute of Hams (VU2FI) 
Dr. S. Satyapal (VU2FI)