Meet HEX20: India's Deep-Space Pioneer
While India's private space sector has seen a surge of innovative companies like Skyroot and Pixxel focusing on launch vehicles and Earth-observation satellites, HEX20 is charting a course into deep space. Based in Technopark, Thiruvananthapuram, HEX20 is a space-tech
startup that has quietly positioned itself as a key international player. The company specialises in developing complex spacecraft systems, including satellite platforms and mission software. Though founded in Australia, its strong Indian engineering base in Kerala is at the heart of its technical prowess, making it a prime example of the 'Make in India' story going interplanetary. In a landmark move, the UAE Space Agency selected HEX20 to contribute critical technology to its ambitious interplanetary programme, the Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt (EMA).
The Mission: A 5-Billion-Kilometre Journey
This isn't just any mission; it's one of the most ambitious deep-space explorations undertaken by the UAE. The goal is to send a main spacecraft, the MBR Explorer, on a multi-year journey to the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. HEX20's primary role was to develop the lander probe's spacecraft bus—the core structure that houses and supports all vital systems—as well as the onboard computer, power systems, and mission-specific software. This hardware had to be designed to withstand the incredibly harsh conditions of deep space. The MBR Explorer is scheduled for launch in March 2028. After a five-billion-kilometre journey involving gravity assists from Venus, Earth, and Mars, it will fly by six different asteroids before reaching its final destination in 2036: a unique, reddish asteroid named 269 Justitia.
A Strategic Handshake: The UAE Connection
The collaboration is a testament to the strengthening space ties between India and the UAE. HEX20 was selected by the UAE Space Agency and the Technology Innovation Institute (TII) back in November 2024 to bring its spacecraft engineering expertise to the programme. For the UAE, a nation rapidly building its knowledge-based economy and space credentials after its successful Mars mission, partnering with agile tech firms like HEX20 provides access to specialised skills. The probe developed by HEX20 was assembled in Abu Dhabi and unveiled in October 2026, a milestone for both the company and the mission. HEX20 operates facilities in both Thiruvananthapuram and the UAE's Masdar City, creating a seamless corridor for technology development and collaboration.
Why This Partnership Is a Game-Changer
This project is significant on multiple fronts. For India, it marks the first time a private company has been selected to provide core systems for another nation's deep-space mission, moving beyond ISRO's shadow and proving the commercial viability of Indian space tech on a global stage. For the UAE, it accelerates their ambitious space exploration goals by leveraging international talent. Upon reaching asteroid 269 Justitia, the HEX20-engineered probe will detach from the MBR Explorer and make an autonomous descent to the asteroid's surface, capturing invaluable data and images until impact. This act of 'touching' an asteroid is a complex feat achieved by only a handful of missions in history. The mission will provide crucial scientific insights into the formation of our solar system, and for HEX20 and India, it is a powerful demonstration of world-class capability.
