Dhruva Space, a company that provides complete space engineering solutions, has teamed up with Sodern ArianeGroup from France, a global expert in Space and defence equipment.
As part of Dhruva Space’s main program called LEAP, which helps clients around the world send their payloads into Space more quickly, Sodern will send its new HORUS star tracker on a Dhruva Space mission planned for 2026.
The HORUS device will be placed on Dhruva Space’s own P-30 nanosatellite, which has a flexible and modular design. Important parts of the satellite—such as its electronics, power, and control systems—were successfully tested in Space during the 2024 LEAP-TD mission using ISRO’s PSLV-C58 POEM-3 rocket.
Sodern’s HORUS device includes a high-tech sensor made for telecom satellites. It helps accurately track the satellite’s position and direction in Space without needing outside help.
At the same time, Dhruva Space has picked Sodern’s Auriga star tracker, which can resist space radiation, as the main tool to help its satellites know their direction in several upcoming missions.
“This contract signing fits perfectly within the strategic relationship between India and France and proves the importance of space collaboration between our countries. Dhruva Space was selected as the ideal partner to launch our high-end HORUS star tracker on its inaugural IOD smallsat mission, and we are eager to see HORUS in action,” said Vincent Dedieu, Chairman & CEO, Sodern ArianeGroup.
“HORUS’s high performance and autonomy offer exceptional robustness and make it particularly well-suited to telecommunications platforms…We are also proud that our Auriga star tracker meets Dhruva Space’s expectations and has been selected for future Indian satellites and missions. The Auriga star tracker, with a legacy of 1,800 units in operation, is specifically designed to reduce costs while offering excellent technical performance and reliability,” Dedieu added.
Sanjay Nekkanti, CEO & Co-founder of Dhruva Space, added, “The Indo-French partnership in Space has always been one of mutual respect, technical excellence, and long-term vision, and one I have been inspired by since before beginning my career in Space-Tech. Dhruva Space’s collaboration with Sodern represents yet another landmark chapter in this legacy. By combining Dhruva Space’s modular satellite architecture with Sodern’s flight-proven attitude determination systems, we’re enabling faster, more reliable mission deployment for customers and advancing in-orbit innovation at scale.”
The partnership was announced during an official business visit to France and Italy led by Minister Piyush Goyal. He encouraged stronger cooperation between India and France in manufacturing and advanced technology (Deeptech).
Dhruva Space joined the visit, with its CEO and Co-founder Sanjay Nekkanti representing the company. He also serves as Co-Chair of FICCI’s Space & Geospatial Data Committee.
Dhruva Space offers satellites, ground stations, and launch services. These can be provided as a full package or as separate solutions to support space-related projects both on Earth and in Space.
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