Setback for Indian private space sector as GalaxEye loses contact with Drishti

BENGALURU: In a significant setback to India's growing private space sector, Bengaluru-based space technology startup GalaxEye has lost communication with its maiden satellite, Mission Drishti, the world's first OptoSAR satellite.
The company said efforts are underway to re-establish contact with the satellite but acknowledged that the likelihood of restoring communication remains very low.

Mission Drishti is a pioneering Earth observation satellite equipped with both Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and multispectral imaging capabilities, enabling it to capture high-resolution images during both day and night and under all weather conditions. The satellite was launched on May 3 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from California, United States.

Following the launch, Mission Drishti successfully established communication with GalaxEye's Mission Control Centre in Bengaluru and completed a substantial portion of its Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP), with key spacecraft systems functioning as expected.

However, during the final stage of deployment, the satellite encountered a severe geomagnetic solar storm. According to the company, preliminary analysis indicates that radiation associated with the event likely affected a critical onboard system, leading to intermittent communication before contact with the satellite was ultimately lost. GalaxEye said investigations into the exact cause are continuing.

Despite the premature end of the mission, GalaxEye Chief Executive Officer Suyash Singh said the satellite had successfully validated several critical spacecraft systems and provided valuable engineering data and operational insights. He added that the lessons learned from Mission Drishti would strengthen the company's future missions.

GalaxEye remains committed to its long-term roadmap and plans to launch two larger OptoSAR satellites, each weighing around 300 kilograms, within the next two years.