The company develops LUMIRA, a parallel imaging platform for drones, UAVs, eVTOL aircraft and fixed-wing planes.
Published Nov 26, 2025 | 11:06 AM ⚊ Updated Nov 26, 2025 | 11:06 AM
MIRA weighs three to four times less than conventional space telescopes.
Synopsis: EON Space Labs’ 502-gram MIRA, India’s first indigenous space telescope, has passed NASA-standard thermo-vacuum testing in Ahmedabad. Surviving −20°C to +60°C swings and 10⁻⁵ torr vacuum with zero optical drift or outgassing, the ultra-light electro-optical payload is cleared for low Earth orbit. Scheduled for launch in December 2025, MIRA promises high-resolution imagery at a fraction of traditional costs.
A 502-gram device sat inside a vacuum chamber in Ahmedabad, where technicians drained the air to near-nothingness and swung temperatures from Arctic cold to desert heat. The telescope, no heavier than a packet of sugar, captured images while mimicking conditions 400 km above Earth.
EON Space Labs, operating from Hyderabad, completed thermo-vacuum testing on MIRA this month. The electro-optical space telescope passed NASA-standard certification, marking it as India’s first indigenously developed space telescope cleared for low earth orbit missions. Engineers tested the device at vacuum levels below 10⁻⁵ torr—emptier than the space between stars—while temperatures lurched between −20°C and +60°C.
“This is a truly defining moment for us,” Sanjay Kumar, co-founder of EON Space Labs, said. “Space grade certification proves that ultra complex, high-precision imaging platforms can now be built and certified entirely from within India.”
The telescope showed no optical drift. No structural warping occurred. Outgassing—the release of trapped gases that can fog lenses and damage electronics—measured negligible. Engineers connected MIRA to a satellite partner’s onboard computer, where it demonstrated autonomous imaging and transmitted data under simulated orbital conditions.
The NABL-accredited facility in Ahmedabad ran tests that satellites face during launch and operation. Temperature swings replicate what happens when a satellite passes from Earth’s shadow into direct sunlight every 90 minutes. The vacuum mimics space, where air pressure drops to almost zero.
MIRA weighs three to four times less than conventional space telescopes. Traditional satellites carry imaging equipment weighing several kilograms. Launch providers charge $10,000 to 20,000/kg to send payloads into orbit. A lighter telescope cuts costs without sacrificing image resolution.
“MIRA enables the highest-quality imagery at a fraction of traditional size and weight limitations,” Punit Badeka, co-founder of EON Space Labs, said. “We’re not only focused on India’s self-reliance in earth observation but aim to tap the global market with MIRA.”
The device will launch aboard a satellite mission in December 2025. The heritage flight will demonstrate MIRA’s performance in actual space conditions. Engineers designed the telescope as an electro-optical payload for dual-use applications spanning strategic defence and commercial space missions.
“Our vertically integrated optical and AI-enabled stack delivers an operational payload perfectly aligned for the extreme environment of space,” Manoj Kumar Gaddam, co-founder of EON Space Labs, added.
The company develops LUMIRA, a parallel imaging platform for drones, UAVs, eVTOL aircraft and fixed-wing planes. The approach spans space, aerial and ground-based platforms, applying the same optical technology across multiple domains.
Testing confirmed temperature stability and vacuum tolerance. The telescope operated reliably under conditions that destroy unqualified equipment. Solar radiation, cosmic rays and micrometeorite impacts await MIRA once it reaches orbit. The December flight will expose the telescope to these real-world hazards for the first time.
