Mission Drishti

Prelims: Current events of national and international importance | Science & Technology

Why in news?

Space-tech startup GalaxEye has announced that it is planning to launch its maiden ‘Mission Drishti’ in 2026.

Mission Drishti – The world's 1^st multi-sensor Earth observation (EO) satellite.
It is India's largest privately built satellite and also the highest-resolution satellite developed in the country.
Aim – To achieve near real-time Earth observation for global applications.
Launched in – 2026, this constellation program comprising 8-12 satellites to be launched successively until 2029.
Planned by – Bengaluru based space startup – GalaxEye

This company notably is the 1^st company in India to develop a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) payload privately.

Key features of mission

Combination of sensors – The satellite will combine multiple sensing technologies on a single platform.
The satellite will feature GalaxEye's proprietary "SyncFused Opto-SAR" imaging, which synchronizes both high-resolution optical payloads and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors.
High-resolution imagery – The satellite, weighing 160 kg and offering 1.5 metre resolution, offering high-precision geospatial insights.
All-weather & all-time observation – The combination of sensors will enabling unprecedented earth observation data available through any weather, any time of the day.
High endurance – The satellite has undergone comprehensive structural testing at ISRO’s U.R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), proving its capability to endure the harsh conditions of space, including extreme temperatures, vibrations, and vacuum.
Range of applications – The satellite will enable governments, defense agencies, and industries to perform advanced geospatial analysis across a wide range of applications, including:
- Border surveillance, disaster management, defence, utilities and infrastructure monitoring, agriculture as well as financial and insurance assessment.
Significance – 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.

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