After KOYO, Technopark HEX20 will line up six satellite missions, including MAYA-V1 and DINK-N1

The KOYO satellite on SpaceX’s Transporter-17. | Photo credit: Special arrangement

After successfully launching its second satellite aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-17 mission last week, Thiruvananthapuram-based space technology start-up HEX20 has six more in the pipeline over the next 12 months – two of which are named after popular comic book characters Mayavi and Dingan.

KOYO (Kinetic Optical Yaw Observer), the second HEX20 satellite, was successfully launched for the National Central University (NCU) in Taiwan on July 7, 2026. Now, the small satellite manufacturing company based in Technopark has a busy schedule ahead.

Satellites scheduled for launch in the coming months include NILA III, a CubeSat to qualify Britain’s OhmSpace propulsion system; SAISI, Ship Identification Satellite for NCU; COSPAR-1, a space weather measurement satellite that is the result of a collaboration with the Committee for Space Research (COSPAR); and a lander that will be part of Emirates’ asteroid belt mission.

The remaining two satellites are HEX20’s own MAYA-V1 and DINK-N1. The acronyms were inspired by ‘Mayavi’ and ‘Dingan’, popular characters from children’s books, Aravind MB, co-founder and chief operating officer of HEX20, told The Hindu. MAYA-V1 stands for “Multi Application Yearly Assimilated Vehicle” and “DINK-N1” stands for “Direct Imaging Network Node”. The latter is a 30-35 kg satellite, while the former is a smaller payload.

For HEX20, KOYO was a big step forward from its first satellite ‘Nila’ launched in 2025 in collaboration with US SpaceX. KOYO represents an important step in establishing HEX20 as a trusted global satellite mission partner, HEX20 CEO Amal Chandran said in a statement. HEX20 co-founder and chief technical officer Anurag Reghu said KOYO performed as designed in orbit. It also has space-qualified HEX20 solar panel deployment mechanisms that include a new feedback mechanism, a hinge design, and a deployable monopole rod antenna.

Published – 13 Jul 2026 20:22 IST