Bangalore-based space technology start-up GalaxEye has achieved a major milestone with the completion and testing of its Drishti OptoSAR satellite.

The spacecraft is currently being prepared for shipment to the United States, where it is scheduled to be launched into orbit aboard a SpaceX rocket. 

This mission marks the debut of the world’s first satellite to combine both electro-optical multispectral imaging and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) on a single platform, a feat of engineering that provides comprehensive earth observation capabilities.

The Drishti satellite, weighing approximately 155kg, represents the largest and highest-resolution satellite built by a private entity in India to date.

Developed through the incubation program at IIT-Madras, the satellite’s unique "OptoSAR" payload allows it to overcome the traditional limitations of space-based imaging.

While the multispectral sensors capture high-detail colour data beyond the range of the human eye, the SAR component enables the satellite to "see" through thick cloud cover, smoke, and total darkness, ensuring consistent monitoring regardless of weather or lighting conditions.

On-board intelligence is a critical feature of the Drishti mission, with the satellite utilising Nvidia’s Jetson Orin computing module to process data in real-time.

This edge-computing capability allows the spacecraft to identify specific objects, detect subtle environmental changes, and even spot camouflaged assets before the data is even transmitted to Earth.

The satellite underwent rigorous environmental and stress testing at the UR Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru, the same facility used by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for its national missions.

This launch is the first step in GalaxEye’s ambitious plan to deploy a constellation of up to twelve satellites by 2029. The data harvested by this network is intended for a diverse range of high-stakes applications, including border surveillance for defence agencies, infrastructure monitoring, and precise agricultural forecasting.

By integrating artificial intelligence directly into its geospatial analysis platform, the start-up aims to provide actionable insights for insurance assessments and ecosystem health tracking with unprecedented reliability.

The commercial strategy for Drishti is supported by a global partnership with New Space India Limited (NSIL), the commercial arm of ISRO, which will act as a reseller for GalaxEye’s product portfolio. 

Furthermore, the collaboration with US-based impulso.space has streamlined the logistical path to the launch pad. As the global demand for high-frequency, all-weather earth observation grows, GalaxEye’s successful realisation of the OptoSAR technology positions India as a formidable player in the international private space sector.

Agencies