Indian Space Industry : Updates & Discussions

Indian spacetech start-up GalaxEye Space offers cutting-edge Synthetic Aperture Radar tech for drones

This makes the Bengaluru-headquartered company the country’s only private entity to successfully develop and demonstrate the technology, alongside established organisations such as ISRO and DRDO

By Manish Pant
Aug 29, 2023,
Updated Aug 29, 2023, 5:54 PM IST
1693595017037.png

The system is capable of conducting exceptionally detailed and high-resolution all-weather imaging, even under rainy or cloudy conditions.
  • The system is capable of conducting exceptionally detailed and high-resolution all-weather imaging, even under rainy or cloudy conditions.
  • The technology can be utilised across areas such as insurance, surveillance, precision agriculture, property tax estimations and monitoring utilities like gas pipelines and transmission lines.
  • The company is looking at launching its first satellite to be called Drishti Mission by mid-2024, which will be India’s first and the world’s highest-resolution multi-sensor imaging satellite.

In a first for India, spacetech start-up GalaxEye Space has offered its cutting-edge Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) designed for deployment on its under-development satellite systems for aerial drones as well. The system is capable of conducting exceptionally detailed and high-resolution all-weather imaging, even under rainy or cloudy conditions, the company said in a statement Tuesday.

This makes the Bengaluru-headquartered company the country’s only private entity to successfully develop and demonstrate the SAR technology, alongside established organisations such as the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

“We had completed the testing of the SAR sensor in December last year. And since there was a lot of interest in this area, we eventually announced it for aerial drones. This is definitely one of the milestones towards the development of our own satellites,” Suyash Singh, Co-founder & CEO told Business Today.

Several drone service providers had approached GalaxEye with a request to develop a SAR version for aerial mapping as well. The technology can be utilised across areas such as insurance, surveillance, precision agriculture, property tax estimations and monitoring utilities like gas pipelines and transmission lines. Usually, most drone companies utilise still or video cameras for this purpose.

“Instead of testing the entire sensor stack in the orbit, the cost-effective and lightweight solution for the aerial platform will also allow us to assess its efficacy here. The next step is to put a space-grade version of this sensor on our satellites,” declared Singh.

Entirely developed in-house, the fusion technology is designed to deliver unprecedented insights and data from space, empowering satellite constellations to conduct all-weather imaging without succumbing to the atmospheric hindrances that plague current single-sensor satellites. It is capable of generating highly detailed images through a compact satellite constellation that can achieve global coverage within a 12-hour time frame.

“GalaxEye has been able to prove their capabilities in such a short period of time and that too with difficult technologies like SAR,” Sudheer Kumar, Director Capacity Building Office at ISRO, noted.

The company is looking at launching its first satellite to be called Drishti Mission by mid-2024, which will be India’s first and the world’s highest-resolution multi-sensor imaging satellite. Incubated in IIT-Madras, it has inked strategic partnerships and commercial contracts with leading organisations, including the US-based space software provider Antaris, XDLINX Labs, Ananth Technologies and Dassault Systèmes.

Indian spacetech start-up GalaxEye Space offers cutting-edge Synthetic Aperture Radar tech for drones
 
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Gautam said:
Indian spacetech start-up GalaxEye Space offers cutting-edge Synthetic Aperture Radar tech for drones

This makes the Bengaluru-headquartered company the country’s only private entity to successfully develop and demonstrate the technology, alongside established organisations such as ISRO and DRDO

By Manish Pant
Aug 29, 2023,
Updated Aug 29, 2023, 5:54 PM IST
View attachment 30142
The system is capable of conducting exceptionally detailed and high-resolution all-weather imaging, even under rainy or cloudy conditions.
  • The system is capable of conducting exceptionally detailed and high-resolution all-weather imaging, even under rainy or cloudy conditions.
  • The technology can be utilised across areas such as insurance, surveillance, precision agriculture, property tax estimations and monitoring utilities like gas pipelines and transmission lines.
  • The company is looking at launching its first satellite to be called Drishti Mission by mid-2024, which will be India’s first and the world’s highest-resolution multi-sensor imaging satellite.

In a first for India, spacetech start-up GalaxEye Space has offered its cutting-edge Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) designed for deployment on its under-development satellite systems for aerial drones as well. The system is capable of conducting exceptionally detailed and high-resolution all-weather imaging, even under rainy or cloudy conditions, the company said in a statement Tuesday.

This makes the Bengaluru-headquartered company the country’s only private entity to successfully develop and demonstrate the SAR technology, alongside established organisations such as the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

“We had completed the testing of the SAR sensor in December last year. And since there was a lot of interest in this area, we eventually announced it for aerial drones. This is definitely one of the milestones towards the development of our own satellites,” Suyash Singh, Co-founder & CEO told Business Today.

Several drone service providers had approached GalaxEye with a request to develop a SAR version for aerial mapping as well. The technology can be utilised across areas such as insurance, surveillance, precision agriculture, property tax estimations and monitoring utilities like gas pipelines and transmission lines. Usually, most drone companies utilise still or video cameras for this purpose.

“Instead of testing the entire sensor stack in the orbit, the cost-effective and lightweight solution for the aerial platform will also allow us to assess its efficacy here. The next step is to put a space-grade version of this sensor on our satellites,” declared Singh.

Entirely developed in-house, the fusion technology is designed to deliver unprecedented insights and data from space, empowering satellite constellations to conduct all-weather imaging without succumbing to the atmospheric hindrances that plague current single-sensor satellites. It is capable of generating highly detailed images through a compact satellite constellation that can achieve global coverage within a 12-hour time frame.

“GalaxEye has been able to prove their capabilities in such a short period of time and that too with difficult technologies like SAR,” Sudheer Kumar, Director Capacity Building Office at ISRO, noted.

The company is looking at launching its first satellite to be called Drishti Mission by mid-2024, which will be India’s first and the world’s highest-resolution multi-sensor imaging satellite. Incubated in IIT-Madras, it has inked strategic partnerships and commercial contracts with leading organisations, including the US-based space software provider Antaris, XDLINX Labs, Ananth Technologies and Dassault Systèmes.

Indian spacetech start-up GalaxEye Space offers cutting-edge Synthetic Aperture Radar tech for drones
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Fantastic , we need more such companies which can develop niche technologies. Hope these companies grow and absorb more talented workforce from other sectors like main stream software industry.
 
In a first, NSIL to help Euro firm test re-entry capsule on PSLV last stage

Chethan Kumar / TNN / Updated: Sep 17, 2023, 01:51 IST

BENGALURU: Come January, a petite European spacecraft, christened “Bikini,” will hitch a ride aboard India’s trusted PSLV, soaring to a staggering altitude of 500km before making a re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere and plunging into the deep sea.

Weighing a mere 40kg, Bikini is the brainchild of The Exploration Company, a European startup aiming to make inroads into the in-space delivery sector. The success of the Bikini mission promises to unlock new possibilities, propelling the company toward even grander re-entry missions in the future.

Originally slated to partner with Arianespace, The Exploration Company has secured a contract with Space PSU NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) owing to delays in the development of the Ariane 6 rocket.

For the re-entry endeavour, NSIL will harness the PSLV's final stage — the PS4. NSIL CMD Radhakrishnan D told STOI: “This marks our maiden voyage into such a venture for a customer. Our plan involves mounting the re-entry capsule onto PS4. Once our primary satellites have been deployed post launch, the PS4 will part ways with Bikini.”

While the ultimate destination of Bikini’s descent is yet to be determined, the capsule will not be recovered by The Exploration Company. That said, the data from Bikini's journey during the re-entry will serve as a valuable building block for the evolution of the firm’s re-entry and recovery technologies.

The PS4 has also been used by India for PSLV Orbital Experimental Module (POEM) experiments in the past and more POEMs are expected in the future. However, for POEM, PS4 becomes an orbital platform, that is, the instruments are housed in PS4 which orbits Earth while conducting experiments.

This won’t be the case when it carries the European capsule. In Bikini’s case, it would be attached to the top of PS4 and remain there until the main mission is complete. And given that Bikini will have no propulsion systems, it would rely on the PS4 to reach an appropriate altitude from where it could re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere.

“For the main mission, the altitude being targeted is around 500km. PS4 will then come out of that orbit, deboost itself with Bikini and separate from the payload while at an altitude of 120-140km. From there, Bikini would fall back into the sea,” Radhakrishnan said.

Earlier, Isro had carried out a Space Capsule Recovery Experiment (SRE–1) on the PSLV in 2007. SRE-1 was a 550kg capsule that demonstrated the technology of an orbiting platform for performing experiments in microgravity conditions. After completion of the experiments, the capsule was deorbited and recovered.

The mission provided Isro valuable experience in fields like navigation, guidance and control during the re-entry phase, development of reusable thermal protection system (TPS), recovery through deceleration and flotation, besides acquisition of basic technology for reusable launch vehicles.

In a first, NSIL to help Euro firm test re-entry capsule on PSLV last stage - Times of India
 
Productionisation of PSLVs: industry delivers the propellant ingredients

October 20, 2023

The productionisation of the PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) by the industry reached a significant milestone with the propellant ingredients being delivered to SDSC-SHAR for the realisation of Solid Motors for the inaugural flight of the industry-manufactured PSLV N1.

The Department of Space (DOS), through its commercial arm, NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), has placed an order with a consortium of M/s. L&T and HAL to realise five (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicles) PSLVs towards productionisation of PSLVs. As part of the initial phase of producing solid motors for the inaugural PSLV N1 launch, the consortium delivered the essential propellant ingredients at SDSC-SHAR in Sriharikota today. The material acceptance documents were formally handed over by the Vice President and Head of Aerospace at L&T Defense, along with the Deputy General Manager from HAL, to the Director of SDSC-SHAR.

This event was witnessed by the Director of NSIL and the Secretary, DOS/Chairman, ISRO. Dr. Somanath S., Secretary, DOS/Chairman, ISRO referred to this event as a paradigm shift in the development of operational launch vehicles through the industry, made possible by the constant support from ISRO. The Directors of VSSC, LPSC, and HSFC, along with ISRO management officials, participated in the event.

Productionisation of PSLVs: industry delivers the propellant ingredients

N1 designation is new. Wonder if the industry made PSLVs will carry that designation instead of the usual PSLC-Cxx.
 
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Some updates from Agnikul cosmos:
We knew about their plans to do truck mounted launches:
1704733090777.png

But ship-based launches are new addition:
1704733141369.png

If they anchor their ships very close to the equator, then they can take full advantage of the Earth's centrifugal forces & increase their payload capacity.

Also, they are now advertising their Angilet engine as having 36 kN sea level thrust. Previously the Agnilet was said to produce 25 kN.
1704733258901.png
 
A new dawn. Era of high-capacity small satellites

BY M RAMESH
Updated: January 21, 2024, at 06:34 PM.

While the early small satellites were mostly one-trick ponies, the modern ones are far more potent, capable of multi-tasking.
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The modern-day multi-tasking small satellites will revolutionise space logistics.

Agnikul Cosmos, the Indian start-up, which is building small rockets to launch small satellites, is aiming for 30 launches a year—for starters. Its mentor, Dr Ashok Jhunjhunwala, President, IIT Madras Research Park, where Agnikul is incubated, recently said the company would build 300 rockets a year.

“There is a lot of scope,” says Srinath Ravichandran, Co-Founder and CEO of the space start-up, which is close to conducting its first sub-orbital test. “About 100 tonnes of small satellites go up to orbit per year,” he told Quantum.

Agnikul’s plans flag an increasingly obvious trend: we are witnessing the dawn of the era of small satellites.

Another fact illustrates the trend. In September 2023, when ISRO offered to transfer its small satellite launch vehicle technology to private companies, as many as 23 companies applied.

Small satellites have been around for some time now. Back in 2009, students at the Anna University in Chennai built Anusat, to study gravity and magnetic fields, which was put in orbit by an ISRO rocket. But now, the world is witnessing a big shift with the emergence of high-capacity small satellites. For example, the satellites of Elon Musk’s space internet company, Starlink (which, incidentally, is expected to get approval for Indian operations this week), are equipped with Krypton-powered ion thrusters, autonomous collision avoidance systems and star trackers. They weigh just 260 kg (though the upcoming Starlink satellites are three times as heavy). Sunil Bharti Mittal’s OneWeb has over 600 satellites, weighing about 150 kg, also equipped with items such as automatic collision avoidance systems.

While Starlink and OneWeb’s satellites are meant to provide space-served internet, other small satellites aim to do much more.

EU’s bid for space

By 2027, the European Union aims to have a constellation of 200 satellites to guarantee its sovereignty in space under its IRIS programme (Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite). The project aims at making sure of critical networking infrastructures and facilitate crisis management by governments, to supplement its terrestrial networking infrastructure. “The possibility of cheaper mass production would enable construction of large satellite constellations for entirely new commercial services and scientific applications,” says Prof Frank Schäfer, head of the Space business unit at the Fraunhofer Institute for High-Speed Dynamics EMI, based at Freiburg, Germany.

Prof Schäfer’s institute is also building military grade satellites for the German Federal Armed Forces (Bundeswehr). A military satellite called ERNST, which is about half the size of a beer crate, is being built by the institute to detect missile launches from anywhere in the world. Placed in the low-earth orbit, it features an infrared camera that can sense the heat emitted by a missile engine. But this camera can do much more—it can, for example, detect forest fires, greenhouse gas emissions and measure sea temperatures.

Fraunhofer institute sees ERNST as a platform that can generate “experiential data” for designing small satellites with high-capacity equipment. “These findings are being included in the plans for more such small satellite constellations in the future,” Schäfer told the institute’s in-house magazine.

The future high-capacity small satellites will include technologies such as “beam hopping” by which one antenna can cover multiple areas. These satellites are equipped with ‘modular phased array antennas’ and are flexible because their individual beams can be electronically controlled.

While the early small satellites were mostly one-trick ponies, the modern ones are far more potent, capable of multi-tasking. By the looks of it, their tribe—like Abou Ben Adham’s—will only increase. Launch service providers like Agnikul Cosmos are understandably excited about the prospect.

Era of high-capacity small satellites.
 
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