Developed to meet the requirements of the UAE Space Agency, the satellite took over two years to build. HEX20 was selected by the Technology Innovation Institute (TII) and the UAE Space Agency in Nov 2024, becoming the first private Indian company to be on board for a deep-space mission by the Gulf nation.
After the satellite is taken over by the UAE, it will be sent to the US for integration with a larger spacecraft. After testing, the integrated unit will be launched through Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) by 2028. It is scheduled to travel nearly five billion kilometres to reach the asteroid belt.
Along the way, it will fly past six asteroids before reaching its final target, 269 Justitia. Once it enters orbit around around the asteroid, the probe developed by HEX20 will separate and descend autonomously and descend toward the surface, capturing images and transmitting them for scientific study. It will have a hard landing!
Justitia's unusual reddish target has always drawn scientific interest. Studying its surface could provide clues about organic material and the distribution of water and other volatile substances during the formation of the Solar System.
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