PM Modi lauds GalaxEye milestone as ‘Mission Drishti’ OptoSAR satellite enters orbit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hailed space startup GalaxEye’s “Mission Drishti” as a major milestone in India’s space journey, as the company successfully launched its satellite aboard Falcon 9 from California.

Modi said the mission, which features the world’s first OptoSAR satellite, reflects the growing role of innovation and private enterprise in India’s space sector, congratulating the startup’s founders and team.

Mission Drishti integrates electro-optical (EO) and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors into a single platform — a global first. While EO sensors capture high-resolution images in daylight and clear skies, SAR enables imaging in all weather conditions and at any time using radar pulses.


“With the satellite now successfully in orbit, our immediate focus is on completing its commissioning,” said Suyash Singh, founder and CEO of GalaxEye, adding that the company is already witnessing strong global interest in the unique datasets generated by the OptoSAR payload.

The satellite is designed to overcome limitations of conventional earth observation systems, enabling more reliable and consistent data acquisition across diverse environmental conditions.

As a dual-use platform, Mission Drishti will support applications across defence, agriculture, disaster management, maritime monitoring and infrastructure planning.

The mission is also expected to complement India’s broader earth observation capabilities under the Indian Space Research Organisation.

GalaxEye plans to scale up Mission Drishti into a constellation of 10 satellites by 2030, aiming to build a robust and sovereign earth observation network with global reach.