Space-tech startup GalaxEye has announced that it is planning to launch its maiden 'Mission Drishti' in the first quarter of calendar year 2026. The launch will also mark the beginning of GalaxEye's satellite constellation programme, comprising 8 to 12 satellites to be launched successively until 2029, aiming to achieve near real-time Earth observation for global applications.
Weighing 160 kg, Mission Drishti is Indias largest privately built satellite and also the highest-resolution satellite developed in the country. GalaxEye has built the world's first multi-sensor Earth observation platform, carrying synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and high-resolution optical payloads on a single satellite.
The satellite will enable governments, defence agencies, and industries to perform advanced geospatial analysis across a wide range of applications, including border surveillance, disaster management, defence, utilities and infrastructure monitoring, agriculture, as well as financial and insurance assessment, providing real-time environmental and structural insights.
"This mission places India firmly on the global space map and creates a system that turns space technology into intelligence that businesses, governments, and communities can rely on," said Suyash Singh, cofounder & chief executive officer, GalaxEye.
The Drishti satellite has undergone comprehensive structural testing at ISROs U R Rao Satellite Centre, proving its capability to endure the harsh conditions of space, including extreme temperatures, vibrations, and vacuum.
Each satellite is engineered as a remote-sensing Earth observation system, optimized for spatial, spectral, and temporal resolutions to capture high-precision imagery.
-- Shine Jacob, Business Standard