MISSION DRISHTI

NEWS: Mission Drishti, the world’s first OptoSAR satellite, has been successfully launched

ABOUT

• Developed by Bengaluru-based startup GalaxEye.
• Launched aboard Falcon 9 rocket (SpaceX) from Vandenberg, California

Key Highlights of Mission Drishti

• It is the first satellite in the world to combine: Electro-Optical (EO) sensors, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) sensors
• This combination is called OptoSAR technology.
• Satellite Specificationsà Weight: 190 kg
• India’s largest privately developed Earth Observation satellite

OptoSAR Technology

Electro-Optical (EO) Sensors

• Capture images using visible light
• Provide high-resolution images
• Limitation: Cannot work properly in clouds, darkness, or bad weather

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)

• Uses microwave radar signals
• Can capture images: Day and night, Through clouds, rain, fog
• Limitation: Images are less detailed visually compared to EO

OptoSAR Advantage (Combined System)

• Overcomes limitations of both EO and SAR
• Provides: All-weather imaging, Day-and-night capability, Reliable and consistent data

Importance of Mission Drishti

• First-ever integration of EO + SAR in one operational satellite
• Major innovation in Earth Observation technology
• Disaster management (floods, cyclones)
• Agriculture monitoring, Urban planning
• Boosts India’s private space sector
• Enhances data reliability for national planning & security