New Delhi:The Indian space program took a big leap on Sunday after a Bengaluru-based space start-up, GalaxEye, launched its Mission Drishti satellite aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket from California. Mission Drishti is the world's first OptoSAR satellite, something the world has not seen before, integrating electro-optical (EO) and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors into a single operational platform, the startup said.
The EO sensors installed in the satellite enables it to capture high-resolution images during sunlight, clouds, clear skies and even in darkness. The SAR sensors provide all-weather and all-time images, using radar pulses. This technology gives India an edge in monitoring and surveying critical security developments, therefore, proving crucial for national security purpose.
In a statement, Suyash Singh, founder and CEO of GalaxEye, said, "With the satellite (Mission Drishti) 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 will help address long-standing limitations of conventional systems and enable more reliable and consistent data acquisition across diverse environmental conditions, the company said.
As a dual-use Earth observation satellite, the mission will support use cases across defence, agriculture, disaster management, maritime monitoring, and infrastructure planning.
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.
The launch came after five years of indigenous research and development, and extensive environmental testing and performance validation of the Mission Drishti.
In a statement, Lt Gen AK Bhatt (Retd), director general of Indian Space Association (ISpA), said, "GalaxEye has achieved what only a few global players have, which is seamlessly combining optical and SAR capabilities on a single platform to enable persistent, all-weather intelligence."
What stands out is not just the technology, but its broader impact on how downstream applications will increasingly define value in the space economy, particularly in Earth observation, where timely, decision-grade insights are critical," he added.
ISpA is the premier industry association of space and satellite companies in the country.
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