Hope, Anxiety and Resolve Mark EON Space Labs’ PSLV-C62 Moment

Hyderabad: Excitement filled the Hyderabad office of deep-tech startup EON Space Labs as its advanced multispectral imaging payload MIRA, developed in collaboration with fellow city-based startup TakeMe2Space, stood ready for liftoff aboard Isro’s PSLV-C62 mission.

As the launch progressed, team members erupted in applause, raising slogans of Bharat Mata Ki Jai, many with tears in their eyes as they watched their product soar into space — an emotional moment recalling years of hard work and perseverance.

However, tension soon replaced celebration when Isro announced a deviation towards the end of Stage-3 of the mission. The team sat glued to their television screens as officials stated that data was being analysed and the mission could not proceed further due to the disturbance.

While the setback left several young engineers visibly disheartened, the founders, Punit Badeka, Sanjay Kumar and Manoj Kumar Gaddam, stepped in to motivate the team, many of whom are fresh graduates drawn by a passion for space technology.

“This is the nature of space missions. Uncertainty is part of the journey,” the founders told the team. “We have done our best. This is a learning experience. Small failures are stepping stones to bigger successes.”

Reassuring the young engineers, the founders said the team would soon return to building payloads for other customers. “We will succeed many times and fail a few times, but we will succeed again,” they said, reaffirming the startup’s resolve to move forward despite the setback.

Punit Badeka, Sanjay Kumar and Manoj Kumar Gaddam shared another message: “We will succeed next time. This mission has been a valuable learning experience for us. In space engineering, such early setbacks are often stepping stones towards long-term success.

“For a young startup, being part of a national launch mission is itself a strong validation of our technology and our team. Every flight teaches us something new, and we are already applying these learnings as we prepare for our next mission with renewed focus and confidence.

“We will soon be announcing our upcoming launch and the next plan of action,” they said.

Speaking with Deccan Chronicle, Sanjay Nekkanti, CEO and co-founder of Dhruva Space, said: “Space is inherently complex, and India’s NGEs have been steadily building space infrastructure at scale. Dhruva Space has built its vertically integrated, full-stack capability by tapping into Isro’s legacy vendor ecosystem, building in-house infrastructure, and developing space systems suitable for modular and scalable production.

“At this stage, our focus is on a measured and timely turnaround. These capabilities enable us and our customers to be ready for upcoming launch opportunities in under a few weeks. We continue to see strong momentum and maturity in the Indian space programme, and we are confident the ecosystem will grow.”