Months after it launched its first OptoSAR satellite under ‘Mission Drishti’, spacetech startup GalaxEye said it lost communication with the spacecraft after an anomaly linked to a geomagnetic solar storm.
The development marked a setback for the Bengaluru-based startup which is seeking to establish in-orbit credibility in the Earth observation segment. Mission Drishti is an Earth observation mission built around OptoSAR satellite, combining optical and synthetic aperture radar capabilities for all-weather, day-and-night imaging.
Electro-optical sensors capture high-resolution images similar to photographs but are limited by clouds and darkness. SAR sensors use radar to image the Earth’s surface through clouds and at night. By combining both, OptoSAR delivers all-weather, day-and-night Earth observation.
GalaxEye said the spacecraft completed a major portion of its Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP) and validated deployment, onboard computing, and communications systems. However, it lost the connection in the final stage. It said that initial radiation effects associated with the event likely impacted a critical onboard system.
“While the satellite experienced an anomaly following an extreme space weather event, the mission has provided invaluable engineering insights that will directly strengthen our future missions,” GalaxEye cofounder and CEO Suyash Singh said.
GalaxEye said the mission tested its in-house mission operations capability through its Mission Control Centre in Bengaluru.
The startup is now aiming to launch two new OptoSAR satellites within the next 24 months while expanding its in-house capabilities to further strengthen quality, reliability, and execution.
Founded in 2021 by Singh, Denil Chawda, Kishan Thakkar, Pranit Mehta, and Rakshit Bhatt, GalaxEye is building multi-sensor earth observation satellites designed to provide high-resolution imaging and geospatial intelligence for use in sectors such as defence, agriculture, infrastructure and disaster management.
It recently raised about ₹44.2 Cr from its existing investors as part of its extended Series A funding round. Overall, it has raised a total funding of about $27Mn to date from investors like Anicut Capital, Faad Network, Speciale Invest, among others.
The development comes at a time when India’s spacetech segment is witnessing growing investor interest as the market is expected to reach around $21 Bn by 2030, clocking a 11.2% CAGR from 2024 to 2030.
This year, Skyroot Aerospace became India’s first spacetech unicorn after raising $60 Mn in a round co-led by existing investors American billionaire Ram Shriram’s Sherpalo Ventures and Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC. The startup is currently gearing up for its maiden orbital mission ‘Mission Aagaman’, under which it will launch Vikram-1 rocket between July 12 to August 4.
Meanwhile, Pixxel recently announced a partnership with AI startup Sarvam to build and launch orbital AI data centres that will be powered by the latter’s foundational models.
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