The first multi-sensor satellite, Mission Drishti, would be launched by the young space business GalaxEye in Chennai the following year. This ground-breaking satellite will be able to keep an eye on Earth day or night, through any level of cloud cover.
Suyash Singh, co-founder and CEO of GalaxEye Space, claims that Mission Drishti synchronises two complementary sensors, resulting in ground-breaking data fusion. The new multi-sensor satellite will concurrently record data from optical and synthetic aperture radar sensors to improve correlation and the analytical value of the data acquired.
According to GalaxEye Space co-founder and CEO Suyash Singh, existing optical sensors can capture detailed Earth images, even down to vegetation in fields, but they become ineffective during overcast conditions or at night. However, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) technology, being independent of sunlight, can operate during nighttime and under cloudy skies. This advantage expands the satellite’s usability significantly. Singh stated, “The current sensors are not available in the absence of sunlight or if there is a cloud cover. SAR is a very good sensor, not dependent on sunlight, and can work at night.”
Once fully operational, this technique will enable global coverage in less than 12 hours, achieved through a small satellite constellation, providing highly detailed photos.
Beyond the defense and intelligence sectors, the IIT-M incubated startup has identified potential consumers in the insurance industries related to agriculture and natural disasters. Singh believes that the data gathered through Mission Drishti could assist insurance companies and their customers in streamlining the claims process, saving time and effort. The team is currently working on ten satellites, but the final number will depend on the data requirements.
In 2020, Singh, along with Kishan Thakkar, Denil Chawda, Rakshit Bhatt, Pranit Mehta, and Professor S R Chakravarthy, established GalaxEye. Since its inception, the company has successfully formed partnerships and secured commercial contracts with several prominent organizations in the space-tech industry, including Antaris Inc., a leading American space software provider. GalaxEye has also forged strategic alliances with QL Space, Ananth Technologies, XDLINX Labs, and Dassault Systemes.