In a major development for India’s private space ecosystem, Pixxel, a global leader in hyperspectral Earth observation, has partnered with Dhruva Space to integrate high-performance Solis+ space-grade solar panels into its upcoming constellation of satellites. Pixxel’s next-gen satellite fleet, designed for daily global revisit and ultra-high spectral resolution, builds upon the success of its Firefly series launched earlier this year, which delivered the world’s first 5-meter commercial hyperspectral imagery. The integration of Dhruva Space’s Solis+ panels will enable these satellites to operate with enhanced power efficiency and mission reliability.
“Power systems are mission-critical, and there’s no room for errors in space,” said Kshitij Khandelwal, Co-founder and CTO of Pixxel. “Dhruva Space brings both technical depth and a sharp focus on mission readiness. This collaboration reflects a shared drive to engineering excellence and a commitment to delivering high-quality, accessible satellite data to those tackling global challenges. It also marks an important step in strengthening India’s space hardware ecosystem and building resilient infrastructure to support critical needs on Earth.”
Dhruva Space’s Solis+ panels are precision-engineered in-house at its Hyderabad facility. Built with triple-junction GaAs solar cells offering up to 30% efficiency, they can generate several kilowatts of power, ideal for high-performance satellite missions in low-Earth orbit. With growing global demand, Dhruva Space has already delivered orders to the Government of India in November 2024 and is currently exporting to the UAE, Austria, Australia, and France.
“This partnership represents the best of India’s NewSpace sector coming together,” said Abhay Egoor, CTO and Co-founder of Dhruva Space. “There are very few players globally who can design, qualify, and export Space-grade solar panels, and Dhruva Space is proud to be among them. Our collaboration with Pixxel highlights our shared commitment to engineering excellence. Also, it signals to the world that Indian Space-Tech is globally competitive, export-ready, and backed by flight heritage.”
As part of its growth plans, Dhruva Space is establishing South Asia’s first dedicated spacecraft manufacturing facility, spanning 6.5 acres in Hyderabad. The site features a 30,000 sq. ft. solar array design centre and a 40,000 sq. ft. Assembly, Integration, and Testing (AIT) zone, designed to handle the simultaneous integration of spacecraft weighing up to 500 kg.
