Indian startup GalaxEye on Sunday launched its first satellite ‘Drishti’ using SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. With a weight of 190 kg, Drishti is India’s largest private satellite. The Drishti satellite can capture images using both optical and radar (SAR) technologies simultaneously. So far, satellites worldwide have either used multispectral/hyperspectral (optical) imaging or SAR technology separately. Optical images are clear and easy to interpret, while SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) can capture images even in clouds, rain, or at night. GalaxEye has named this combined technology Opto-SAR. Drishti will support applications in defence, agriculture, disaster management, maritime surveillance, and infrastructure planning. The satellite will work alongside ISRO’s (Indian Space Research Organisation) 29 Earth observation satellites. Drishti will enable satellite imaging in all weather conditions According to company founder Suyash Singh, earlier, better insights required combining data from multiple satellites. This often led to a mismatch in images due to differences in time and viewing angles. ‘Drishti’ will provide accurate images of the same location at the same time. He also explained that in poor weather conditions where optical images are not available, the company can use AI to convert SAR data into optical-like images. This makes imaging possible in all weather conditions and at any time. Drishti’s technology is especially significant for India This technology was not developed earlier mainly because most satellite companies are based in Western countries, where weather conditions are generally clear. In India, cloud cover is a much bigger challenge, so this solution was developed. The biggest challenge in building this satellite was synchronising optical and SAR technologies. Both sensors observe the Earth from different angles. The company has therefore developed a system that allows both to capture images of the same location at the same time.
Emphasize accuracy and depth.