Indian startup’s ‘Drishti’ satellite launched aboard SpaceX rocket
New Delhi: GalaxEye, India’s largest privately developed Earth observation satellite, on Sunday, May 3, launched the ‘Mission Drishti’ satellite aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from California, thus marking the world’s first OptoSAR satellite.
“Weighing just 190 kilogram, it is the first satellite globally to integrate Electro-Optical (EO) and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) sensors into a single operational platform, enabling all-weather, day-and-night imaging capabilities. This integrated approach addresses long-standing limitations of conventional systems and enables more reliable and consistent data acquisition across diverse environmental conditions,” said a release from the Bengaluru-based space startup.
The satellite will help address long-standing limitations of conventional systems and enable more reliable and consistent data acquisition across diverse environmental conditions, supporting defence, agriculture, disaster management, maritime monitoring, and infrastructure planning, the company said.
According to Suyash Singh, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mission Drishti is a culmination of over five years of sustained research and development (R&D). “With the satellite now successfully in orbit, our immediate focus is on completing its commissioning. As we move through this phase, we are already witnessing strong global interest in the differentiated datasets enabled by our OptoSAR payload.”
The satellite is also expected to complement India’s broader initiatives, including the 29 active Earth Observation satellites outlined in ISRO’s recent annual report.
GalaxEye aims to scale up Mission Drishti to a constellation of 10 satellites by 2030, developing a robust and sovereign Earth observation infrastructure for India.
PM Modi applauds Mission Drishti
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the launch, calling it a testament to the youth’s passion for innovation and nation-building. “Mission Drishti by GalaxEye marks a major achievement in our space journey. The successful launch of the world’s first OptoSAR satellite and the largest privately-built satellite in India is a testament to our youth’s passion for innovation and nation-building,” Modi said in a post on X.
Modi also congratulated the founders and the entire GalaxEye team, extending his best wishes.
Chairman of Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), Dr Pawan Goenka, also congratulated the team and called it a big step towards commercialisation of India’s private space technology ecosystem.
“Mission Drishti by GalaxEye is a fine example of this – the world’s first OptoSAR satellite from an Indian private player. As more Indian space companies demonstrate their capabilities through real missions and engagement with global customers, confidence in India’s space ecosystem will continue to strengthen, creating greater demand both in India and overseas. I compliment the GalaxEye team on this important milestone and wish them continued success,” he said.
(With PTI inputs)
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