Dhruva Space to launch first commercial satellite on SpaceX rocket

Dhruva Space, an Indian space technology company, is preparing to launch its first commercial satellite mission, named LEAP-1, in the third quarter of 2025. The mission will use a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and marks a significant step for the company as it moves from technology demonstrations to customer-driven projects.

The LEAP-1 mission will carry two payloads from Australian companies, Akula Tech and Esper Satellites. These payloads will be hosted on Dhruva's P-30 satellite platform, which the company developed in-house. Dhruva Space successfully tested and qualified this platform in January 2024 during the LEAP-TD mission, which launched on an ISRO PSLV-C58 rocket.

Akula Tech’s payload is the Nexus-01, an artificial intelligence module designed for data processing and on-orbit re-training. Esper Satellites' OTR-2 payload is a hyperspectral imaging system. These two systems will support applications in defence, agriculture, disaster response, and environmental monitoring. The mission will also provide Ground Station-as-a-Service and real-time operations through Dhruva's Integrated Space Operations & Command Suite (ISOCS).

Sanjay Nekkanti, CEO and co-founder of Dhruva Space, stated that the mission is a major milestone for both the company and for Indo-Australian collaboration in the space sector. The company's press release noted that the LEAP-1 mission's patch symbolises this collaboration, which also has growing support from the United States.

This launch signals Dhruva Space’s entry into global commercial satellite services. The company credits early support from ISRO, IN-SPACe, and the Australian Space Agency for helping to build the commercial partnerships that have led to this mission. Dhruva Space also noted that it is receiving interest from firms in other countries, including Italy and France, which shows the potential for its LEAP program to become a recurring platform for hosted payload missions.