India’s first commercial earth observation satellite constellation

The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) has selected a consortium led by Bengaluru-based PixxelSpace India to develop and operate India’s first fully indigenous commercial earth observation (EO) satellite constellation.

• This public-private partnership (PPP) model marks a significant milestone in India’s space sector, with the private consortium investing over ₹1,200 crore to build a network of 12 satellites over the next five years.

The Consortium and Its Role

The PixxelSpace India-led consortium comprises Piersight Space, Satsure Analytics India, and Dhruva Space. Each company brings a complementary area of expertise:

• PixxelSpace India: Will spearhead the satellite design and manufacturing, focusing on hyperspectral payloads.
• Satsure Analytics India: Specializes in geospatial analytics and will provide value-added services for sectors like agriculture.
• Dhruva Space: Will contribute its expertise in satellite platforms and ground infrastructure.
• Piersight Space: Will lead the development of the Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) technology for all-weather, 24/7 imaging.

This collaboration will develop a versatile constellation with a mix of sensors, including panchromatic, multispectral, hyperspectral, and microwave SAR, to provide high-quality data for various applications.

Project Scope and Impact

• The project operates under a unique PPP framework where the private consortium will fully own and operate the EO system, from satellite manufacturing and launches from Indian soil to ground infrastructure and data commercialization.
• This is the first time in India’s space history that a private entity will undertake such a large-scale, technologically advanced space mission.
• The constellation will deliver Analysis Ready Data (ARD) and Value-Added Services (VAS). ARD is pre-processed data that can be used directly for analysis without the need for additional steps, which significantly reduces the time and effort for end-users.

(Source: TH)