Dhruva Space gets ₹14 cr. funding
Department of Science & Technology’s Technology Development Board (TDB) has announce nancial support of ₹14 crore to Hyderabad-based space startup Dhruva Space for its ‘Space Grade Solar Array Fabrication and Test Facility’ for spacecraft applications on Wednesday.
The objective of the project is to pioneer technological innovations in solar panel manufacturing to meet the rigorous demands of on-orbit usage with innovations to be tried out on adoption of new materials like carbon bre and resins to enhance performance and durability plus focusing on process innovations in solar cell assembly (SCA) through novel stringing and bonding techniques.
Dhruva Space has aims to manufacture high-eciency solar panels targeting an eciency of up to 30% by developing a specialised test facility to ensure compliance and certication of space-grade solar arrays in the long term.
Indigenous innovation
“This project aligns with our mission to promote indigenous innovation and strengthen India’s capabilities in domestic production, furthering the commitment to become a global hub for advanced and cost-eective space technologies,” said TDB secretary Sh. Rajesh Kumar Pathak.
Dhurva Space CEO Sanjay Nekkanti, said a crucial product oering is the endto-end design, engineering, assembly, integration and testing of spacecraft solar arrays for manned and unmanned space programmes. “One of our core capabilities has been to supply space power solutions to large satellites as well, and we are thankful to TDB, in enabling us to scale these capabilities where we have seen traction not just in India but also overseas,” he said.