Hyderabad startup to launch India’s lightest space telescope aboard PSLV-C62 on January 12
HYDERABAD: Deeptech startup Eon Space Labs is set to launch India’s lightest advanced multispectral Earth imaging payload, named MIRA, aboard the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)’s PSLV-C62 mission on January 12 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
The 500gm MIRA telescope, carved from a single block of fused silica, will be mounted on MOI-1, a 14kg CubeSat developed by another Hyderabad-based spacetech firm, TakeMe2Space. The mission will mark a significant step towards inorbit artificial intelligence (AI)-powered data processing.
Eon Space Labs said MIRA has been integrated with the onboard computing system of MOI-1 to enable near real-time image analysis while in orbit. The system aims to demonstrate the feasibility of India’s first AI-powered orbital image laboratory, reducing data downlink costs and improving response times.
The startup said MIRA offers enhanced optical stability, reduced vibration sensitivity, and superior imaging quality in a compact design. “The launch of MIRA aboard MOI-1 represents a shift in how Earth observation missions are designed and utilised. Instead of merely capturing images and sending raw data back to Earth, this mission enables satellites to generate insights in orbit. This has far reaching implications for cost, speed, and accessibility of space-based intelligence,” said Sanjay Kumar, co-founder of Eon Space Labs.
