Indian start-up GalaxEye launches ‘Drishti’ satellite from SpaceX
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New Delhi: Bengaluru-based space start-up GalaxEye on Sunday successfully launched its Mission Drishti satellite aboard SpaceX Falcon 9 from California.
According to the company, Mission Drishti is the world’s first OptoSAR satellite, integrating electro-optical (EO) and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors into a single operational platform. While EO sensors capture high-resolution imagery under daylight and clear-sky conditions, SAR sensors enable imaging in all weather and at any time using radar pulses.
Founder and Chief Executive Officer Suyash Singh said the satellite has successfully entered orbit and is now undergoing its commissioning phase. “As we progress, we are already seeing strong global interest in the differentiated datasets enabled by our OptoSAR payload,” he said in a statement.
The company noted that the satellite is designed to overcome limitations of conventional imaging systems, enabling more consistent and reliable data acquisition across varied environmental conditions.
As a dual-use Earth observation platform, Mission Drishti is expected to support applications across defence, agriculture, disaster management, maritime monitoring, and infrastructure planning.
The satellite is also likely to complement India’s broader space initiatives, including the 29 active Earth observation satellites highlighted in Indian Space Research Organisation’s latest annual report.
GalaxEye plans to scale Mission Drishti into a constellation of 10 satellites by 2030, aiming to build a robust and sovereign Earth observation infrastructure for the country.
With PTI inputs