Kerala-based HEX20 develops spacecraft bus for UAE asteroid probe

Unveils spacecraft before Dubai Crown Prince

Trivandrum / October 13, 2026

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct. 13: Technopark-based spacetech startup HEX20, which built India's first rideshare satellite in the private sector, has been selected by UAE Space Agency to develop asteroid probe spacecraft, becoming the first private company from India to be onboarded for a deep space mission by the Gulf nation.

The spacecraft bus and software for the asteroid probe developed by the company was unveiled before His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense. It marked a significant milestone for the Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt.

HEX20 was selected by the Technology Innovation Institute (TII) and the UAE Space Agency in November 2024 following a design workshop to build the asteroid probe spacecraft. 

With an engineering presence at Technopark in Thiruvananthapuram and UAE operations based in Masdar City, HEX20 is contributing its spacecraft engineering expertise to an ambitious interplanetary programme. Its work includes the spacecraft bus, the platform supporting the probe’s payload and operations and software developed to meet the mission’s technical requirements.

HEX20 has developed a novel on-board computer and power systems designed for the harsh environment of deep space. The company delivered its service within 15 months through focused engineering, sustained effort and close collaboration with project partners, while maintaining quality and meeting mission requirements.

Shri Amal Chandran, Chief Executive Officer, HEX20, said: “The achievement underscores HEX20’s capabilities in delivering spacecraft systems for demanding missions. The probe spacecraft has been assembled in Abu Dhabi by TII’s Propulsion and Space Research Center, along with the UAE Space Agency, HEX20, Khalifa University and UAE University’s National Space Science and Technology Center.”

“It will next travel to Colorado for integration with the MBR Explorer. Scheduled to launch in March 2028, the MBR Explorer will travel approximately five billion kilometers over eight years. Gravity-assist maneuvers around Venus, Earth and Mars will shape its journey into the main asteroid belt, where it will fly past six asteroids before reaching its final target, asteroid 269 Justitia,” Shri Chandran added.

After the MBR Explorer enters orbit around 269 Justitia, the probe will separate and descend autonomously towards the surface. Justitia’s unusual reddish appearance makes it a compelling scientific target. Researchers believe it may have originated in the distant Kuiper Belt before migrating into the main asteroid belt.

Studying its surface could provide evidence about organic material and the distribution of water and other volatile substances during the Solar System’s formation. This autonomy of the probe spacecraft is a defining engineering challenge.

While the MBR Explorer remains in communication with mission control, the probe must execute its onboard programme independently with no control from Earth-based operators. The autonomy written into the software is a significant capability developed by HEX20, which can be applied in many Earth-based monitoring applications as well.

HEX20 has its presence in US, UAE and Taiwan. It builds payload-agnostic satellite platforms and offers satellite mission-as-a-service and payload hosting capabilities for in-orbit demonstrations to its customers.

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