Bengaluru-based startup launches Drishti, ‘world’s first OptoSAR satellite’; PM Modi hails achievement

In a significant achievement that highlights the growing prowess of India in space sector, a Bengaluru-based space-technology startup, GalaxEye, on Sunday launched Drishti, the “world’s first OptoSAR satellite” that combines radar and optical sensors in real time to provide high- resolution images of the same place at the same time, irrespective of weather conditions.

The satellite was placed in orbit aboard SpaceX’s Falcon-9 rocket from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, United States.

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Terming the launch a major achievement in the country’s space journey, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the satellite is a testament to the Indian youth’s passion for innovation and nation-building.

“Mission Drishti by GalaxEye marks a major achievement in our space journey. The successful launch of the world’s first OptoSAR satellite and the largest privately-built satellite in India is a testament to our youth’s passion for innovation and nation-building,” the Prime Minister said in a post on X.

He further congratulated the GalaxEye founders and the entire team on their successful mission launch.

“OptoSAR imagery enables insights that were impossible with traditional satellites,” the company said, adding that it is being designed to be “reliable, predictable, and ready to power the next generation of applications.”