News: Photovoltaics
9 July 2025
Dhruva’s Solis+ space-grade solar panels to be used by Pixxel
Dhruva Space Private Ltd of Hyderabad, India (which provides satellites coupled with Earth stations and launch services) has entered into a strategic partnership with Bengaluru-based space data company and spacecraft manufacturer Pixxel, which is building the world's highest-resolution hyperspectral imaging satellite constellation (enabling the detection, monitoring and prediction of critical global phenomena across agriculture, oil & gas, mining, environment, and other sectors, with what is reckoned to be 50x richer detail than conventional satellites). This India-based collaboration will see Dhruva joining forces with Pixxel to integrate space-grade solar panels into their next satellite fleet.
Dhruva designs and develops small satellites and key subsystems, including space-grade solar panels. Its Solis+ panels are engineered for high-performance power generation in orbit. Built with high-efficiency (up to 30%) triple-junction gallium arsenide (GaAs) solar cells, Solis+ is designed to operate reliably in the extreme conditions of space. Precision-manufactured in-house, the panels offer power capacities in the range of several kilowatts, making them suitable for larger classes of satellites and spacecraft. Last November, Dhruva delivered a Solis+ order to the Government of India and is currently fulfilling export orders for customers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Austria, Australia and France.
Designed for daily global revisit and high spectral fidelity, Pixxel’s upcoming fleet of satellites builds on its Firefly satellites launched in 2025, which marked the world’s first 5m commercial hyperspectral imagery.
“Power systems are mission-critical, and there’s no room for errors in space. As we expand our capabilities, we're building with partners who bring deep technical ability and a shared focus on mission readiness, and Dhruva Space exemplifies both,” comments Pixxel’s founder & chief technology officer Kshitij Khandelwal. “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,” he adds.
Picture: Dhruva Space’s chief technology officer & co-founder Abhay Egoor with Pixxel’s chief technology officer & founder Kshitij Khandelwal.
“There are very few players globally who design, manufacture, qualify and export space-grade solar panels,” notes Dhruva Space’s chief technology officer & co-founder Abhay Egoor. “Solis+ technology, designed for low-Earth orbit (LEO) and high-mission durability, is a result of years of indigenous R&D and spaceflight heritage. Two high-performance players from India’s private space sector collaborating at this level signals the maturing of the ecosystem. This is not just a hardware agreement; it’s a signal to the global market that Indian space-tech companies are building with flight heritage, scalability and export readiness in mind,” he adds.
“Dhruva Space is currently setting up a first-of-its-kind spacecraft manufacturing facility in South Asia, spread across 6.5 acres with a built-up area of 280,000ft2,” Egoor continues. Of the total area, 30,000ft2 is dedicated to the design and development of space-grade solar arrays, while 40,000ft2 will serve as a full-fledged assembly, integration & testing (AIT) zone with parallel bays for simultaneous integration of spacecraft of up to 500kg classes. This facility is a major step toward Dhruva Space’s goal of enabling vertical integration and scalable spacecraft production from Indian soil.”
The partnership is said to highlight the growing interdependence of Indian private space companies and their increasing role in building globally competitive space infrastructure.
