Bengaluru-based space startup GalaxEye has launched its Earth observation satellite, Mission Drishti, aboard a Falcon 9 operated by SpaceX from Vandenberg, California.
Mission Drishti combines Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and electro-optical imaging on a single satellite platform, enabling imaging in all weather conditions, including through cloud cover and at night.
The satellite weighs 190 kg and is the largest privately developed Earth observation satellite from India. The company said the mission is the result of more than five years of research and development.
“Mission Drishti marks our first mission and the culmination of over five years of sustained R&D to develop this technology. With the satellite now successfully in orbit, our immediate focus is on completing its commissioning,” said Suyash Singh, Founder and CEO of GalaxEye. “We are already witnessing strong global interest in the datasets enabled by our OptoSAR payload.”
The satellite will undergo commissioning before initial imagery is delivered to customers in the coming weeks. The company said it has received interest from government and commercial users internationally.
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.
Heartiest…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 3, 2026
GalaxEye has partnered with NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), the commercial arm of Indian Space Research Organisation, for global distribution of its satellite imagery.
Mission Drishti was developed with support from IN-SPACe, which provided access to testing infrastructure and regulatory approvals.
“The sustained effort over the last five to six years on confidence-building, capacity-building, and the commercialisation of India’s private space technology ecosystem is now showing tangible results,” said Pawan Goenka, Chairman of IN-SPACe. “Mission Drishti by GalaxEye is a fine example of this.”
The satellite is designed for applications across defence, agriculture, disaster management, maritime monitoring and infrastructure planning.
Founded in 2021, GalaxEye is a space technology company focused on Earth observation systems. It has raised over $20 million from investors, including Speciale Invest, Mela Ventures, Infosys, Ideaforge and Rainmatter.
Set up by five alumni of Indian Institute of Technology Madras, the company is building Earth observation systems using its OptoSAR technology. The founding team includes Singh, Denil Chawda (CTO), Kishan Thakkar (VP – Engineering), Pranit Mehta (VP – Sales Ops), and Rakshit Bhatt (VP – Product).
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