New Delhi: Bengaluru-based New Space Startup GalaxEye has announced that Mission Drishti is planned for the first quarter of 2026, which will be the first in a planned Earth Observation constellation comprising of 8-12 satellites to be deployed by 2029. The 155 kg satellite is the largest privately built satellite by India, as well as the highest-resolution one. The satellite is the first multi-sensor Earth observation platform, carrying both a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) as well as a high resolution optical payload on a single satellite, which will be combined using the innovative SyncFused Opto-SAR technology. The satellite will be able to observe any part of the surface of the Earth, in all-weather conditions, at any time of the day.
Suyash Singh, Co-founder and CEO of GalaxEye says, “With Mission Drishti, we are unlocking a new era of actionable data through space exploration. For the first time in the world, we are deploying a satellite that combines multiple sensing technologies on a single platform, enabling us to observe the Earth in ways that were previously impossible. This mission places India firmly on the global space map and creates a system that turns space technology into intelligence that businesses, governments, and communities can rely on.”
A wide range of potential applications
The satellite is meant for use by governments, defence agencies and industries to perform geospatial analysis for a wide range of applications, including border surveillance, utilities and infrastructure monitoring, agriculture and insurance assessment, providing relatime environmental and structural insights. The satellite is capable of identifying objects, detect changes and even flag the use of camouflage. The satellite has undergone structural testing at ISRO’s UR Rao Satellite Centre (URSC) in Bengaluru, ensuring that the satellite will operate as intended in Earth orbit, after surviving the harsh ride to space.
Suyash says, “With the recent geopolitical events increasing, next generation imaging technologies with AI infusion, we look forward to providing unparalleled imagery intelligence. We already have interest from defence and security agencies, utilities, agriculture, and financial companies and we are truly excited about the potential of this technology to transform decision-making and operational efficiency across industries.” The first satellite in the constellation will offer a spatial resolution of 1.5 metres per pixel. GalaxEye was founded in 2021, was incubated at IIT Madras, and was founded by the members of the Avishkaar Hyperloop Team.