With a spatial resolution of 1.5 metres, the satellite can detect objects as small as a car, monitor crop health in standing fields, and assess infrastructure with high spatial precision.
Nearly three years after its initial announcement, Bengaluru-based spacetech startup GalaxEye is set to launch the world’s first multi-sensor Earth observation satellite, Mission Drishti, in the first quarter of 2026.
The launch will also mark the beginning of GalaxEye’s satellite constellation programme, which aims to deploy up to 12 satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) by 2029. The initiative is designed to deliver ‘near real-time’ Earth observation capabilities for global applications.
Founded in 2021, GalaxEye’s leadership team emerged from Avishkar Hyperloop, a group of scientists assembled through a global competition organised by SpaceX. Since its inception, the company—led by CEO Suyash Singh—has focused on advancing Earth observation technology through its proprietary SyncFused Opto-SAR platform.
“With Mission Drishti, we are unlocking a new era of actionable data through space exploration. For the first time, a satellite will combine multiple sensing technologies on a single platform, allowing us to observe the Earth in ways previously impossible,” Singh said.
Weighing 160 kg, Drishti is the largest privately built satellite in India and the highest-resolution platform of its kind. It integrates synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and high-resolution optical payloads, enabling uninterrupted Earth observation regardless of weather or time of day.
Incidentally, the Sanskrit word drishti translates to “sight” in English.
Applications Across Sectors
The satellite will support advanced geospatial analysis for defence, surveillance, disaster response, infrastructure monitoring, agriculture, and financial risk assessment.
Drishti has completed structural testing at ISRO’s UR Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), demonstrating its resilience to space conditions, including extreme temperatures, vibration, and vacuum. Each satellite in the planned constellation will function as a self-contained remote sensing system, optimised for spatial, spectral, and temporal resolution.
Singh noted that the satellite’s AI-enabled imaging capabilities are especially relevant amid rising geopolitical tensions.
“We already have interest from defence and security agencies, utilities, agriculture, and financial companies. This technology has the potential to transform decision-making and operational efficiency across industries.”
The first satellite will offer a spatial resolution of 1.5 metres, meaning each pixel in its imagery represents a 1.5 x 1.5 metre section of the Earth’s surface from an altitude of over 500 km. In other words, it can detect objects as small as a car, monitor crop health in standing fields, and assess fine-grained infrastructure with high spatial precision.
– Manish Pant