Dhruva Space Private Limited, a Hyderabad-based space engineering company, announced the Polar Access-1 (PA-1) programme under which it will enable 10 space missions aboard the Indian Space Research Organisation’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-DL C62. The launch is scheduled for 12 January 2026 at 10:17 am IST from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, and includes satellites, deployment systems, ground stations and mission operations infrastructure serving six Indian states and two foreign nations.
Polar Access-1 is designed to provide structured and repeatable access to sun-synchronous orbit. The programme delivers an integrated stack comprising four satellites, five separation systems and multiple operational ground stations, executed through the company’s satellite platforms, launch vehicle integration services, separation systems and Ground-Station-as-a-Service. Dhruva Space received authorisation for Ground-Station-as-a-Service from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre in 2024.
The missions supported under Polar Access-1 address applications including disaster communication, environmental monitoring, education and commercial earth observation. Several of the payloads represent first-time satellite missions for Indian states, academic institutions and foreign partners, embedding operational space capability within universities and research organisations.
International participation includes an earth observation and technology demonstration satellite developed by the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology and Antarikchya Pratishan Nepal. Enabled for launch through NewSpace India Limited and ISRO, the mission focuses on vegetation density mapping for environmental monitoring.
In India, Odisha’s first satellite mission, CGUSAT-1, has been developed with CV Raman Global University in Bhubaneswar and is built on Dhruva Space’s P-DoT satellite platform. The mission demonstrates store-and-forward communications relevant for disaster response. Karnataka’s DSAT-1, developed with Dayananda Sagar University in Bengaluru, focuses on two-way amateur-band communications and telemetry, with Dhruva Space supporting the satellite platform, deployment system and campus-based ground infrastructure.
The Polar Access-1 payloads also include LACHIT-1, developed with Assam Don Bosco University, representing the first satellite mission led from India’s northeastern region. Additional missions include a technology demonstration from Tamil Nadu showcasing a standard interface for on-orbit refuelling, a one-unit technology demonstration satellite developed for an educational institution in Gujarat, and THYBOLT-3, Dhruva Space’s own satellite mission demonstrating disaster communication using amateur radio architecture.
Several of the satellites, including CGUSAT-1, DSAT-1, LACHIT-1 and THYBOLT-3, will be accessible to licensed amateur radio operators globally. Dhruva Space stated that it will conduct training programmes and workshops in collaboration with the National Institute of Amateur Radio and participating universities focused on satellite-based disaster communication and emergency-response scenarios.
“Dhruva Space is systematically scaling as a full-stack space infrastructure company spanning satellite platforms, mission-critical subsystems, separation systems, launch integration and ground infrastructure,” said Abhay Egoor, Chief Technology Officer and co-founder of Dhruva Space. “Polar Access-1 operationalises a structured and repeatable pathway that simplifies access to orbit while maintaining mission-grade reliability.”
Dhruva Space Private Limited is a Hyderabad-based space engineering solutions provider operating across satellite, launch and ground segments, supporting civilian and defence customers with integrated and standalone space infrastructure solutions.
