Hyderabad-based deep-tech startup EON Space Labs has announced that its flagship electro-optical space telescope, MIRA, has successfully completed thermo-vacuum (TVAC) testing. The milestone qualifies MIRA as India’s first indigenously built space telescope ready to operate in the harsh conditions of low Earth orbit. Designed as a dual-use payload, MIRA will support both strategic defence requirements and commercial Earth-observation missions.

Co-founder Sanjay Kumar described the achievement as a defining moment, noting that space-grade certification demonstrates India’s ability to design, build and qualify complex, high-precision imaging payloads domestically. The compact telescope has met stringent NASA-aligned standards for space readiness, including thermal stability, vacuum tolerance and in-orbit operational reliability. Testing was conducted at an NABL-accredited facility in Ahmedabad at vacuum levels below 10?? torr and temperature cycles ranging from ?20°C to +60°C.

MIRA exceeded expectations with negligible outgassing and zero optical or structural drift. It has also been successfully integrated with the high-performance onboard computers of its satellite partners, validating autonomous imaging and telemetry under simulated orbital conditions. The telescope is scheduled for its maiden heritage flight on a satellite mission in December 2025.

Co-founder Punit Badeka said MIRA delivers high-resolution imagery at a fraction of the size and weight of traditional space telescopes—just 502 grams, making it three to four times lighter than typical systems. This ultralight design can substantially reduce payload launch costs, which often range between USD 10,000 and 20,000 per kilogram.

Manoj Kumar Gaddam, also a co-founder, highlighted the startup’s vertically integrated optical and AI-enabled stack, which delivers a payload engineered for extreme space environments. While MIRA progresses toward orbit, EON Space Labs is simultaneously advancing its LUMIRA EO/IR aerial-imaging and reconnaissance systems for drones, UAVs, eVTOL platforms and fixed-wing aircraft. The approach reinforces the company’s focus on multi-domain optical systems designed for space, aerial and terrestrial applications.