'Today, as I look at our satellite -- tested, finished and ready to ship -- represents 1,642 days of grit and belief.'
Indian space startup GalaxEye Space Solutions, which built the 190-kg OptoSAR satellite -- the heaviest spacecraft developed by an Indian private company -- is now preparing to build a new generation of 300-kg satellites, according to a senior company official.
Suyash Singh, Co-founder and CEO of the company, said the next satellite will deliver 0.5-metre resolution imagery.
"It will be our second-generation satellite, and the preliminary design review is currently underway," he said.
Key Points
- GalaxEye built the 190-kg OptoSAR satellite, the heaviest spacecraft developed by an Indian private space startup.
- The company is designing a second-generation 300-kg satellite capable of delivering high-resolution imagery at 0.5-metre precision.
- The OptoSAR system integrates optical sensors with synthetic aperture radar, enabling Earth observation during clouds, night, or adverse weather.
- The first satellite will launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 and form part of the planned 10-satellite Drishti constellation.
- The Bengaluru-based startup has raised $14.5 million and plans a new funding round after its first satellite reaches orbit.
GalaxEye's Next-Gen 300-kg Satellites
The company's OptoSAR satellite combines optical sensors with synthetic aperture radar (SAR), enabling Earth observation even during cloudy weather or at night.
Singh noted that several systems used in the first satellite are compatible with spacecraft weighing up to 500 kg, allowing GalaxEye to reuse key components in future missions while keeping costs under control.
Falcon 9 Launch Timeline
The startup plans to continue manufacturing satellites in India but is also exploring the establishment of a US subsidiary to support global business development.
GalaxEye is also preparing to begin operations at a new facility in Bengaluru, which is expected to become operational within the next six months.
Meanwhile, the company is gearing up to launch the world's first OptoSAR satellite in the coming months aboard a Falcon 9 rocket operated by SpaceX.
Also present at the company's booth were Dr Deb Jyoti Pal, Senior Vice President -- Business Development, and Kanav Katyal, Lead -- Compliance (Technologies), engaging visitors while showcasing a model of Mission Drishti and highlighting fused, all-weather Earth observation capabilities. Photograph: Kind courtesy @GalaxEye/X
OptoSAR Technology Explained
The spacecraft, weighing about 190 kg, uses electric propulsion, Singh said.
This satellite will be the first of 10-spacecraft planned under the Drishti constellation, which aims to provide continuous Earth observation with the ability to capture images in all weather conditions and at any time of day.
"The world's first OptoSAR spacecraft is ready to be shipped to SpaceX's launch site in the United States," Singh said, adding that the launch is expected in two to two-and-a-half months.
Drishti Constellation Earth Observation Plan
The Gen-1 satellite is designed for a four-to-five-year mission life and will deliver imagery with 1 to 1.5 metre resolution.
Its global revisit time -- the interval between successive observations of the same location -- is expected to be seven to 10 days, with faster coverage in the polar regions.
The Drishti constellation is designed to address a long-standing challenge in Earth observation: the inability of traditional optical satellites to capture images during nighttime or cloudy conditions.
By integrating optical imaging with SAR technology, the satellites will offer all-weather, day-and-night imaging capabilities.
According to Singh, the system will correlate SAR data with optical imagery so users can receive optical-style images even when the satellite collects radar data.
This capability could support governments, defence organisations and commercial industries through advanced geospatial analysis and monitoring.
Startup Funding and IIT Madras Roots
GalaxEye has signed an agreement with NewSpace India Limited, the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organisation, to resell satellite imagery generated by the constellation.
The startup has raised about $14.5 million so far and plans to begin its next funding round after the first satellite enters orbit, Singh said.
GalaxEye was incubated at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras and was founded by five students and alumni who previously worked together in Team Avishkar Hyperloop, a student engineering competition team.
Reflecting on the journey in a recent post on X, Singh said the satellite represents more than 1,600 days of development, during which the team faced technical hurdles and skepticism.
'For 4.5 years we lived in the gap between a 'world's first' vision and a thousand 'it's not possible' warnings,' he wrote.
'Building a deep-tech startup with limited funds is a daily battle against gravity and doubt./
He added that many questioned whether the technology could be built, but the team persisted.
'Today, as I look at our satellite -- tested, finished and ready to ship -- represents 1,642 days of grit and belief.'
'The satellite is ready,' Singh said. 'And we are just getting started.'
Venkatachari Jagannathan can be reached at venkatacharijagannathan@gmail.com
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