Indian startups Pixxel and Dhruva Space launch satellites aboard Elon Musk's SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket

Bengaluru’s Pixxel and Hyderabad's Dhruva Space launched satellites on Elon Musk-led SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket early on August 27.

About startups Pixxel and Dhruva Space

While Pixxel launched three more of its Firefly hyperspectral satellites, Dhruva Space satellites hosted payloads of Akula Tech and Esper Sats - the start-up's first commercial mission.

Bengaluru-based Pixxel already has three other Firefly satellites in orbit, taking the count after the August 27 launch to six.

Founded by Awais Ahmed and Kshitij Khandelwal, Pixxel builds hyperspectral satellites, helping mine insights on the planet.

13-year-old startup Dhruva Space, co-founded by Sanjay Nekkanti, Krishna Teja Penamakuru, Abhay Egoor, and Chaitanya Dora Supureddy, constructs satellite infrastructure/platforms along with ground stations.

Pixxel satellites can capture over 135 spectral bands at a 5-meter resolution across a 40-kilometre swath, the start-up said, for governments to detect changes in Earth’s ecosystems with accuracy.

MoneyControl reported the startup also mentioned focusing on launching its next "Honeybees" satellites, which will work alongside the Fireflies for even broader spectrum ranges and faster revisit times.

“While there are multiple other satellites in the works, the upcoming Honeybees are special because they will take us further into the electro-magnetic spectrum, enhancing hyperspectral capabilities and increasing the number of use cases we can target," Pixel CTO Kshitij Khandelwal said.

Startup Pixxel has raised $95 million so far, with backers including bigshots such as Google, Lightspeed, and Glade Brook Capital.

“Teaming up with our commercial partners in Australia (Akula Tech and Esper Sats) creates remarkable opportunities for Indo-Australian Space business, which will, in turn, foster a long-term partnership," Dhruva Space CEO Sanjay Nekkanti had earlier said.

Dhruva Space has raised a total of $15 million from investors, including Indian Angel Network Alpha Fund and Blue Ashva Capital.

🛰️ LEAP-1 FLIES TONIGHT!#DhruvaSpace's first commercial satellite venture built on the P-30 satellite bus is hosting two innovative In-Orbit Demonstration (IOD) payloads developed by Australia-based @AkulaTech and @EsperSats.

🚀 Scheduled for launch aboard #SpaceX’s Falcon 9… pic.twitter.com/0JeH0OMa1w

— Dhruva Space (@DhruvaSpace) August 26, 2025

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