HEX20, a Thiruvananthapuram-based space startup, launched its second satellite KOYO (Kinetic Optical Yaw Observer) on July 7, 2026, aboard the SpaceX Transporter-17 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. The satellite lifted off on a Falcon 9 rocket as part of SpaceX’s rideshare programme, which carried a total of 81 payloads to low Earth orbit. KOYO is designed as a multi-payload test platform that validates advanced space technologies for international clients, making it India’s first private payload-hosting satellite mission serving global customers.
About HEX20 and the KOYO Mission
HEX20 is a small satellite manufacturing company headquartered at Technopark, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Founded in 2021, the company specialises in building payload-agnostic satellite platforms and offers satellite mission-as-a-service and payload hosting capabilities. The startup is led by its co-founders: Amal Chandran (CEO), Anurag Reghu (CTO), Aravind MB (COO and Director), Lloyd Jacob Lopez, and Ashwin Chandran.
KOYO was developed for the National Central University (NCU) of Taiwan as a 3U CubeSat platform. A CubeSat is a miniaturised satellite built in standard units of 10 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm, with 3U denoting three such units stacked together. The satellite was deployed approximately one hour after launch, and within 40 minutes of deployment, HEX20 received KOYO’s first beacon signals. These signals were decoded by the SatNOGS amateur satellite ground station network, confirming the satellite was operational.
HEX20’s first satellite, Nila, was launched in March 2025 aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-13 mission. Named after Kerala’s longest river, Nila was India’s first private-sector rideshare satellite and also Kerala’s first privately built satellite. While Nila served as a proof-of-concept and technology demonstrator, KOYO represents a significant upgrade as a fully fledged commercial payload hosting mission.
KOYO: A Multi-Payload Test Platform
The defining feature of KOYO is its role as a multi-payload test bus that allows international clients to qualify their hardware in space before using it on larger, costlier missions. The satellite carries four distinct experimental payloads:
| Payload | Developer | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Fiber Optic Gyroscope (FOG) | Aegiverse (Taiwan) | Measures angular velocity for precision attitude control of small satellites |
| Configurable Power System (CPS) | Amplified Space (USA) | Allows remote reconfiguration of voltage and current parameters for onboard payloads |
| Digipeater Payload | National Central University (Taiwan) | Enables amateur radio communication and data relay for the global ham radio community |
| Solar Cell Qualification Module | ET Space Power (Taiwan) | Tests efficiency and degradation of solar cells in low Earth orbit, integrated into HEX20’s custom solar panel assembly |
Each payload is operated independently during commissioning, allowing for accurate data collection and fault isolation. The satellite has already space-qualified HEX20’s solar panel deployment mechanisms, which include a novel feedback mechanism, hinge design, and a deployable monopole rod antenna. As of mid-July 2026, KOYO had decoded over 1,500 beacon packets and received more than 75 commands transmitted from the ground, with payload operations commencing sequentially.
What Is In-Orbit Technology Validation?
In-orbit technology validation, or space qualification, is the process of testing new hardware components in the actual space environment to confirm they can survive launch stresses, vacuum, extreme temperatures, and radiation. This step is critical because components that work perfectly on the ground can fail in orbit due to conditions that are difficult to simulate on Earth. KOYO provides a low-cost platform for such testing, allowing companies to gain confidence in their technologies before deploying them in flagship missions worth hundreds of crores.
Significance for India’s Private Space Sector
The successful launch and operation of KOYO marks an important milestone in the growth of India’s private space ecosystem, which has been opening up since the space sector reforms of 2020. These reforms, announced by the central government, allowed private companies to participate in space activities that were previously the exclusive domain of ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) .
The Policy Backdrop
In June 2020, the government announced the establishment of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) as a single-window nodal agency to authorise and oversee private sector participation in space activities. Around the same time, NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) was created as the commercial arm of ISRO. These institutional changes, along with the Indian Space Policy 2023, have created a regulatory framework that enables private startups like HEX20 to build satellites, launch them through foreign or Indian providers, and serve global customers.
The results of these reforms are visible. According to government data, by February 2026, six Indian non-governmental entities had launched 18 satellites into orbit. Private space startups in India raised nearly $150 million during FY 2025 alone, taking total sector funding to over $617 million.
Strategic Importance
HEX20’s ability to build and operate a satellite like KOYO demonstrates that Indian startups can serve as reliable partners for international space agencies and research institutions. For Taiwan’s National Central University, working with HEX20 provided a cost-effective path to orbit without depending on traditional spacefaring nations alone.
Kerala’s emergence as a hub for private space innovation is another notable aspect. Thiruvananthapuram is home to ISRO’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) , the lead centre for launch vehicle development. The concentration of ISRO talent and expertise in the region has created a skilled workforce pool that startups like HEX20 can tap into. HEX20 itself partners with the domestic manufacturing network that plays a role in ISRO missions.
What’s Next: HEX20’s Upcoming Missions
Building on the success of KOYO, HEX20 has announced six more satellite missions lined up for launch in the next 12 months. These missions span technology demonstration, maritime surveillance, space weather measurement, and deep space exploration:
| Mission | Purpose |
|---|---|
| NILA III | A CubeSat to qualify UK-based OhmSpace’s propulsion system |
| SAISI | A ship identification satellite for National Central University, Taiwan |
| COSPAR-1 | A collaborative space weather measurement satellite developed with the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) and multiple global entities |
| Emirates Asteroid Mission Impactor Probe | A lander module to image and impact the asteroid Justitia, flying alongside UAE’s asteroid mission. This will travel further than any microsatellite or CubeSat in human history |
| MAYA-V1 | HEX20’s own payload aggregator satellite carrying multiple customer payloads alongside thermal and visible Earth imaging payloads. MAYA stands for Multi Application Yearly Assimilated Vehicle, inspired by the comic character Mayavi |
| DINK-N1 | A 30-35 kg imaging satellite serving as a Direct Imaging Network Node, inspired by the character Dingan |
The variety in these missions highlights HEX20’s evolution from a simple technology demonstrator to a comprehensive satellite mission provider capable of supporting Earth observation, interplanetary exploration, and global scientific collaboration.
Key Takeaways
- HEX20, a Technopark-based startup founded in 2021, launched its second satellite KOYO on July 7, 2026, via SpaceX’s Transporter-17 mission.
- KOYO is a 3U CubeSat developed for Taiwan’s National Central University and carries 81 payloads for in-orbit technology validation.
- The satellite carries four major payloads: a Fiber Optic Gyroscope from Aegiverse (Taiwan), a Configurable Power System from Amplified Space (USA), a Digipeater from NCU Taiwan, and Solar Cell Qualification Module from ET Space Power (Taiwan).
- HEX20’s first satellite, Nila, launched in March 2025 on Transporter-13, was India’s first private-sector rideshare satellite and Kerala’s first privately built satellite.
- The space sector reforms of 2020 and the creation of IN-SPACe enabled private participation in India’s space activities, allowing startups like HEX20 to emerge.
- HEX20 has six more missions planned in the next 12 months, including a lander module for the UAE’s asteroid mission to the asteroid Justitia.
