PixxelSpace-led consortium to make country’s first commercial earth observation constellation

The data would be used in the fields of agriculture, infrastructure development and urban planning, disaster management, security, as well as climate change monitoring.

The satellites will be equipped with panchromatic, multispectral, hyperspectral, and microwave SAR sensors — which can produce images of the Earth in varying degrees of detail. (File Photo)

A private consortium of four space start-ups led by Bengaluru-based PixxelSpace has won a bid to build and run the country’s fully-indigenous commercial earth observation satellite constellation, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) said Tuesday.

According to the agreement, the consortium will invest Rs 1,200 crore over next five years to set up the 12-satellite constellation. It will own, manufacture, launch, develop ground infrastructure, operate the satellite constellation as well as commercialise the data generated.

“By generating high-resolution, indigenous satellite data, the initiative will significantly reduce India’s reliance on foreign sources, ensure data sovereignty, and position the country among the global leaders,” said IN-SPACe.

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The bid for partnership with the government — which will provide technical and policy support — was won by the consortium of PixxelSpace, Piersight Space, Satsure Analytics India, and Dhruva Space, at the financial stage. At least two other consortiums, led by Astra Microwave Products and GalaxEye Space, had also been shortlisted after a technical evaluation.

The satellites will be equipped with panchromatic, multispectral, hyperspectral, and microwave SAR sensors — which can produce images of the Earth in varying degrees of detail. The data would be used in the fields of agriculture, infrastructure development and urban planning, disaster management, security, as well as climate change monitoring.

“(This) demonstrates the capability and confidence of Indian companies to lead large-scale, technologically advanced, and commercially viable space missions that serve both national and global markets,” said Dr Pawan Goenka, IN-SPACe Chairman.

The constellation will be deployed in a phased manner over four years to ensure continuous service upgrades and expanded coverage. Once the constellation becomes operational, it will be among the most advanced earth observation systems in the world.

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“We are grateful to IN-SPACe and the Government of India for trusting our consortium with this historic mission. Together with our partners Satsure, Dhruva and PierSight, we look forward to building world-class space-tech capabilities that serve the whole planet from Indian soil. This is India’s moment to lead the world in space-powered solutions,” said Awais Ahmed, CEO of PixxelSpace.

Anonna Dutt

Anonna Dutt is a Principal Correspondent who writes primarily on health at the Indian Express. She reports on myriad topics ranging from the growing burden of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension to the problems with pervasive infectious conditions. She reported on the government’s management of the Covid-19 pandemic and closely followed the vaccination programme. Her stories have resulted in the city government investing in high-end tests for the poor and acknowledging errors in their official reports. Dutt also takes a keen interest in the country’s space programme and has written on key missions like Chandrayaan 2 and 3, Aditya L1, and Gaganyaan. She was among the first batch of eleven media fellows with RBM Partnership to End Malaria. She was also selected to participate in the short-term programme on early childhood reporting at Columbia University’s Dart Centre. Dutt has a Bachelor’s Degree from the Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune and a PG Diploma from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. She started her reporting career with the Hindustan Times. When not at work, she tries to appease the Duolingo owl with her French skills and sometimes takes to the dance floor. ... Read More

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