EON Space Labs, a Hyderabad-based deep-tech start-up, has achieved a milestone with MIRA, India's first indigenous electro-optical space telescope designed for Low Earth Orbit missions. This miniaturised payload, weighing just 502 grams, successfully completed rigorous thermo-vacuum testing at an NABL-accredited facility in Ahmedabad.

The tests simulated space conditions with vacuum levels below 10⁻⁵ torr and temperature swings from −20°C to +60°C, confirming MIRA's stability, negligible outgassing, and zero optical or structural drift.​

MIRA meets NASA-grade standards for temperature stability, vacuum tolerance, and in-orbit reliability, marking it as space-ready for dual-use applications in strategic defence and commercial earth observation.

Developed as a high-resolution imaging platform, it integrates seamlessly with onboard high-performance computers, demonstrating autonomous imaging and telemetry under simulated orbital conditions. At 3 to 4 times lighter than conventional telescopes, MIRA slashes payload delivery costs, which often exceed USD 10,000 to 20,000 per kilogram, without sacrificing image quality.​

The telescope employs a vertically integrated optical and AI-enabled stack, enabling ultra-complex, high-precision imaging entirely built within India. Co-founder Sanjay Kumar hailed the certification as a defining moment, proving India's capability to produce such platforms indigenously. Scheduled for a heritage flight in December 2025 aboard a satellite from partner TakeMe2Space on an ISRO rocket, MIRA will establish flight heritage for future constellations.​

Co-founder Punit Badeka emphasised MIRA's role in delivering top-tier imagery at a fraction of traditional size and weight, aligning with India's self-reliance goals while eyeing global markets.

Manoj Kumar Gaddam, another co-founder, highlighted the system's alignment with space's extreme environment. This breakthrough supports multi-domain applications, from surveillance and disaster response to resource management.​

Parallel to MIRA's orbital debut, EON Space Labs advances LUMIRA, an EO/IR platform for drones, UAVs, eVTOLs, and fixed-wing aircraft, reinforcing dual-use optics across space, aerial, and ground domains.

The start-up's innovations underscore Hyderabad's emerging space tech ecosystem and the Make in India initiative. With prior funding like USD 1.2 million, EON positions itself in the USD 11 billion global EO/IR market.​

Agencies