News – Interplanetary.tv

The Rise of Navneet Singh’s Kepler Aerospace: Building India’s New Space Backbone

Navneet Singh, founder and CEO of Kepler Aerospace, is quietly building India’s new space backbone through small satellites and space-grade components. Founded in the mid-2010s, Kepler focuses on the less visible aspects of modern space missions, such as reliable small satellites, precision parts, and custom electronics. Under Singh’s leadership, Kepler has positioned itself as a critical partner in India’s strategic space ecosystem, focusing on in-house development and investing heavily in materials R&D. The company is working on building an integrated ecosystem, including satellites, ground control infrastructure, and AI-powered analytics platforms, with clients including defense agencies, universities, and startups. Kepler’s quiet evolution has earned it a powerful reputation, enabling India’s space economy to scale, secure, and self-rely.

TeamIndus & Rahul Narayan’s Lunar Dreams

TeamIndus, founded by Rahul Narayan and a team of engineers, emerged as one of India’s earliest private aerospace ventures with its sights set on the Moon. The team, which included ex-ISRO scientists and young engineers, built a lunar lander from scratch in a country with no private spaceflight ecosystem. The vehicle, later dubbed HHK1, was designed to ride aboard ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). Despite the Google Lunar XPRIZE’s cancellation in 2018, TeamIndus continued lunar ambitions post-contest, repositioning itself as a commercial lunar services company. The company helped create a precedent for Indian startups to build space-grade hardware, navigate policy hurdles, and dream at planetary scales.

Astrogate Labs: Lighting the Path for Space-to-Ground Laser Coms

Astrogate Labs, founded in 2017, is developing laser-based optical communication systems to replace outdated radio frequency methods in satellite communication. Their flagship product, Astro-Link, is a compact laser terminal capable of delivering 1 Gbps downlink speeds for CubeSats and nanosatellites. The company is also developing a network of optical ground stations and space relay systems.

Pixxel: Mapping Earth Invisible Spectrum with Hyperspectral Satellites

Pixxel, an Indian company pioneering hyperspectral imaging from space, has successfully launched three satellites from its Firefly constellation aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9. The company captures hyperspectral data, breaking it into hundreds of narrow light bands, unlocking detail invisible to the naked eye. This enables unprecedented analysis of soil quality, crop stress, water pollution, gas leaks, and even mineral composition from orbit. Pixxel’s platform, Aurora, turns raw data into ready-to-use insights using AI and machine learning. The company has raised nearly $95 million from investors including Lightspeed, Radical Ventures, Google, and Accenture. Pixxel’s mission statement, “Making the invisible visible,” echoes their long-term ambition to offer planetary-scale intelligence at unprecedented spectral fidelity. With further launches planned through 2026, Pixxel aims to scale to 24 hyperspectral satellites, providing hourly global coverage.

Manastu Space: Clean Propulsion Tech for Sustainable Orbit #2

Manastu Space, a Mumbai-based startup, is focusing on sustainability and cost-efficiency in satellite propulsion. The company replaces toxic hydrazine with a less toxic monopropellant, enhancing safety and fuel efficiency. The company is also developing in-orbit refueling technology, which could revolutionize satellite lifespan and servicing. Manastu Space has secured funding from BIRAC, ISRO, and venture funds and plans to enter full-scale commercial deployment by 2025. The startup aims to become a leading supplier of propulsion modules for small satellite constellations.

Eon Space Labs: Building Eyes in the Sky for India

Eon Space Labs, a Hyderabad-based aerospace startup, is revolutionizing the world from above by developing indigenous imaging systems for satellites, drones, and high-altitude platforms. The company focuses on satellites carrying high-performance optical payloads, which deliver sharp, high-resolution images for various applications. Eon has achieved key milestones such as developing the first prototype of a high-resolution satellite payload, securing partnerships with drone manufacturers, and delivering operational payloads for LEO satellite missions and commercial drones.

Digantara: A New Era in Space Surveillance for India

Digantara, a Bengaluru-based space-tech startup, is leading India’s first private Space Situational Awareness initiative. The company aims to monitor, track, and manage the complex and hazardous environment of space. Digantara’s solution is a seamless, space-based surveillance network that offers continuous, high-resolution data on everything that moves in orbit. The company has successfully launched its first space situational payload on ISRO’s PSLV-C55 mission in 2023 and launched Space-MAP, India’s first commercial Space Mission Assurance Platform in 2024.

Aadyah Aerospace: India Self-Reliance in Space & Defense Engineering

Aadyah Aerospace, founded by Shaju Stephen in 2016, is a leading player in India’s aerospace and defense engineering sector. The company specializes in high-reliability satellite components, unmanned aerial systems, and advanced launch-support hardware. Under Stephen’s leadership, Aadyah Aerospace is shaping India’s space ecosystem with innovation and precision engineering. The company has expanded into satellite subsystems, designing lightweight bus structures and deployers to reduce launch costs. Aadyah Aerospace has forged partnerships with public and private sector players to advance indigenous satellite technologies. Under Stephen’s leadership, the company is scaling up to tackle larger projects and accelerating innovation across India’s aerospace ecosystem.

China conducts In-orbit Refueling Test

Two Chinese spacecraft, the Shijian-21 and Shijian-25, have recently met up 22,000 miles above Earth as part of a refueling demonstration mission. The spacecraft were developed by China’s state-owned Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST). The test aims to demonstrate on-orbit refueling and mission extension capabilities, helping to improve the sustainability of space operations. The US and Tokyo-based Astroscale are likely to observe the activity, and the US has already tested life-extension services for satellites in geosynchronous orbit.

Private Space News (16-20 June)

Landspace, a Chinese private rocket company, has successfully launched six satellites for Spacety, a commercial satellite operator known for Earth observation data. The launch of the methane-fueled Zhuque-2E rocket demonstrates China’s growing maturity in the private launch vehicle industry and its ability to serve commercial satellite customers. The “Three-Body Computing Constellation” project aims to deploy up to 2,800 satellites, positioning China as a global leader in space-based AI computing infrastructure. China’s commercial space sector is experiencing a record surge in funding and dealmaking, with rocket manufacturers like Landspace, Space Pioneer, Galactic Energy, and Deep Blue Aerospace securing hundreds of millions of dollars in recent funding rounds. Russia’s space private sector, space tech startups, and the Skolkovo Innovation Center ecosystem are focusing on companies like Dauria Aerospace, Sputnix, Spectralaser, New Energy Technologies, Azmerit, Lin Industrial, Bureau 1440, Future Lab, and Integral Robotics. The US private space startup ecosystem is robust and innovative, with key innovation areas including reusable launch vehicles, satellite servicing, space situational awareness, Earth observation, space-based manufacturing, and satellite internet.