Paving the way for real-time geospatial intelligence, a Bengaluru startup gears up for its first orbital nano-satellite launch from Brazil.
Bengaluru-based space tech startup Grahaa Space has received authorisation from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre to launch its first orbital mission.
The company plans to place its Solaras S2 nano satellite in orbit by the end of November. The satellite will lift off from the Alcântara Space Centre in Brazil aboard the Hanbit-Nano rocket developed by Korea’s Innospace.
The mission marks Grahaa Space’s entry into orbital deployment. It will serve as a technology demonstrator to validate the company’s nano satellite bus, platform, and key subsystems. The company signed an agreement with Innospace in 2024 to support the Solaras S2 launch as part of its development roadmap.
Founder and CEO Ramesh Kumar V said the Solaras S2 mission represents a critical step. It will help the company assess in-orbit performance and prepare for upcoming missions.
He added that future launches planned for early 2026 with Skyroot Aerospace will test the communications module, collect data from the optical payload, and demonstrate intersatellite links.
Grahaa Space was co-founded by a former ISRO scientist and an ex-IBMer. The startup aims to build a constellation of nano satellites capable of delivering near-real-time Earth observation data from low Earth orbit. Its long-term goal is to offer on-demand geospatial intelligence for a range of applications.
The company is backed by the Viskan Group and incubated at the Space Technology Incubation and Innovation Centre at the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology in Thiruvananthapuram.
The startup highlighted that the incubation support, along with regulatory clearance from IN-SPACe, has helped the team reach its first launch milestone.
Grahaa Space’s planned constellation will feature high-resolution imaging, onboard processing, and intersatellite connectivity. They aim to deliver timely, reliable geospatial data to support diverse on-ground sectors as it moves towards full constellation deployment.
