From Kerala to the Cosmos
HEX20 is a space-tech startup with its engineering heart at Technopark in Thiruvananthapuram and operations extending to the UAE. Founded by a team of young Malayali engineers, the company has rapidly emerged as a significant player in India's burgeoning
private space sector. In a landmark achievement, HEX20 has become the first private Indian company to be selected for a deep-space mission, contributing its expertise to an ambitious project led by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Space Agency. This isn't just a symbolic win; HEX20 is responsible for developing core components, including the spacecraft bus, onboard computer, power systems, and the sophisticated software required for an interplanetary probe.
The Five-Billion-Kilometre Journey
The mission, known as the Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt, is a multi-year odyssey to explore seven different asteroids. Scheduled for launch in March 2028, the main spacecraft, MBR Explorer, will travel approximately five billion kilometres. Its final and most intriguing destination is an asteroid named 269 Justitia, which it is expected to reach in the mid-2030s. Justitia is of particular scientific interest due to its unusually reddish colour, suggesting it may have originated in the far reaches of our Solar System before migrating inwards. Studying its surface could offer profound insights into the distribution of water and organic materials during the solar system's formation.
The Challenge of 'Thinking for Itself'
The centrepiece of HEX20's contribution is the development of a probe designed for autonomous operations. Once the MBR Explorer reaches orbit around Justitia, it will release the probe, which must then manage its own descent to the asteroid's surface without real-time instructions from Earth. This is a monumental engineering challenge. Due to the vast distances, communication delays make direct control impossible. The probe must rely entirely on its pre-programmed software and onboard systems to navigate its final approach, capture data, and attempt to transmit its findings. This autonomous capability, developed by HEX20, is a significant technological feat that showcases the startup's advanced software and systems engineering prowess.
A New Trajectory for Indian Spacetech
HEX20's involvement in a major international deep-space mission marks a pivotal moment for India's private space industry. For decades, the Indian space programme was the domain of the government-run Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). However, policy reforms since 2020 have opened the sector to private enterprise, fostering a vibrant ecosystem of over 400 startups. The establishment of IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre) created a single-window interface to promote, authorise, and supervise private space activities, giving companies like HEX20 the regulatory framework needed to innovate and compete globally. This shift allows ISRO to focus on large-scale research and exploration while private players drive commercialisation and specialised technology development.
