Hyderabad: Technology Development Board (TDB) has signed an agreement with Bengaluru-based GalaxEye Space Solutions Private Limited for ₹63.84 crore in RDI support.
The Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, will provide the support under the Research Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund. The project has an approved total cost of ₹247.69 crore.
The initiative aims to develop a multisensor satellite capable of high-resolution imaging below 0.5 metre. It will also take the technology from Technology Readiness Level (TRL)-6 to TRL-9.
TDB will provide the financial support through Optionally Convertible Debentures (OCD). The project focuses on developing indigenous OptoSAR technology for advanced Earth observation.
The system will combine Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Electro-Optical (EO) imaging. Together, these sensors can provide complementary information about the Earth’s surface.
Optical imaging can offer detailed visual information. However, clouds and limited illumination can affect its effectiveness.
SAR offers a different capability. It can operate during both day and night and can capture images through cloud cover.
Therefore, the proposed satellite will fuse SAR and EO data. This approach is intended to provide a more detailed and continuous view of the Earth across different conditions.
OptoSAR technology targets high-resolution Earth observation
The proposed satellite will deliver sub-0.5 metre imaging resolution. The technology is intended for wide-area and long-range surveillance, human and vehicle detection, and target classification.
Moreover, the system aims to support imaging across varied weather and lighting conditions. The combination of SAR and optical sensing is central to that capability.
The project also represents a technology-maturation programme. With the RDI support, GalaxEye will carry out further development, engineering, testing and validation.
These activities will help advance the system from TRL-6 to TRL-9. The programme is also intended to take the technology towards deployment and commercialisation.
TDB Secretary Rajesh Kumar Pathak said India’s space ecosystem increasingly needs sophisticated technologies developed and deployed within the country. He said the RDI Fund supports technology-intensive projects through the stages between advanced development and deployment.
Pathak said the agreement with GalaxEye reflected TDB’s focus on indigenous capabilities in emerging space technologies. He added that the initiative would support their progress towards commercialisation.
GalaxEye promoters said the TDB support would accelerate development and validation of its technology. They said combining SAR and optical sensing could provide high-resolution information across a wider range of weather and lighting conditions.
The promoters added that the partnership would help move the technology towards TRL-9 and subsequent deployment.
