The project aims to advance the technology from Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6 to TRL-9
The Technology Development Board (TDB), under the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India, has signed an agreement with Bengaluru-based GalaxEye Space Solutions for ₹63.84 crore in financial support under the Research Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund.
The project has a total approved cost of ₹247.69 crore and aims to develop a multisensor satellite capable of high-resolution, sub-0.5-metre OptoSAR imaging. The RDI support will be provided through Optionally Convertible Debentures (OCD).
GalaxEye’s proposed satellite combines Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Electro-Optical (EO) imaging. While EO imaging provides detailed visual information but can be affected by cloud cover and lighting conditions, SAR can operate during both day and night and image through cloud cover. The fusion of data from the two sensing technologies is intended to provide more continuous and detailed Earth-observation capabilities.
The project aims to advance the technology from Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6 to TRL-9 through further development, engineering, testing, and validation.
The proposed satellite is designed to deliver sub-0.5-metre resolution imaging for applications including wide-area and long-range surveillance, human and vehicle detection, and target classification across different weather and lighting conditions.
“India’s space ecosystem is entering a phase where the ability to develop and deploy sophisticated technologies within the country will be increasingly important,” said Rajesh Kumar Pathak, Secretary, TDB. “The agreement with GalaxEye reflects TDB’s focus on enabling indigenous capabilities in emerging space technologies and supporting their journey towards commercialisation.”
GalaxEye said the support will accelerate the development and validation of its OptoSAR technology and help take the system towards TRL-9 and subsequent deployment.
