TWO Indian space start-ups -- Pixxel and Digantara -- on Wednesday announced the launchof theirsatellitesonboard a SpaceX rocket to closely monitor the Earth and objects orbiting around it, marking a new era for the private firms in the space sector. Pixxel became the first privatecompanyinIndia tohave itsownconstellationof satellites using the cutting-edge hyperspectral frequency that allows observation of the earth in over 150 bands,atechnology that is useful in sectors as diverse as agriculture and defence.

 

Digantara Aerospace announced the launch of the world’s firstcommercial satellite - Space Camera for Object Tracking (SCOT)-for surveillance of objects as small as 5 cm orbiting the earth to ensure safer space operations. Surveillance of outer space or situational space awareness (SSA) is important to ensure the safety of spacecraft as orbits around the earthbecomecrowdedwith artificial satellites aswell as space debris. Pixxel’s three Fireflies, currently the world’s highest-resolutioncommercial-gradehyperspectral satellites, are six times sharper than the 30-meter standard and are capable of capturing fine details previously invisible to conventional systems. “For the first time a 5 meter hyperspectral is available.

 

That is what makes it unique, not just in India, but globally,” Pixxel cofounder and CEO Awais Ahmed told PTI. Pixxel plans to launch three more Firefly satellites over the next two months and follow it up with 18 more in future. “This milestone by Pixxel, marksa significant step forward, as hyperspectral satellite imaginghas apotentialtoplaya transformative role for many use cases, especially the defence sector. The advanced hyperspectral imaging capabilities of these satellites are poised to unlock new possibilities,” Lieutenant General A K Bhatt, Director General, Indian Space Association (ISpA), told PTI.