Indian space startup GalaxEye wins US patent for Earth observation tech

The technology could allow satellites to capture clearer, more useful images, peering even through clouds, in all kinds of weather.An representative image of a satellite passing over India. (Photo: Generative AI by India Today)Indian space-tech startup GalaxEye has secured a US patent for a technology that could change the way satellites observe Earth, by bringing two very different kinds of imaging together on the same satellite.The Bengaluru-based company said the patent covers a system that synchronises optical and radar sensors so they can capture precisely aligned images of the same location at the same time.The technology is at the heart of GalaxEye’s OptoSAR imaging system. The GalaxyEye logo and name is seen on a space component. (Photo: GalaxyEye) The achievement comes as demand for satellite-based information grows across areas such as security, agriculture, insurance and disaster response. The global commercial satellite imaging market was worth $6.55 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $20.15 billion by 2033, according to SkyQuest Technology.ONE SATELLITE, TWO WAYS OF SEEING EARTHThe idea behind the OptoSAR technology is relatively simple. An aritst's concept of the world’s first satellite that combines radar and optical sensors. (Photo: GalaxyEye) Optical sensors work like sophisticated cameras, producing images that are easy to understand and revealing details such as vegetation, roads, buildings and water bodies.But they depend on light and can also be blocked by clouds.Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), on the other hand, uses microwave signals to observe the ground, operating during both day and night and seeing through cloud cover. This makes it a useful tool when optical cameras cannot get a clear view. A shadow falls on the Earth's surface during a solar eclipse, as captured by an imaging satellite. (Photo: Reuters) The challenge has traditionally been bringing these two types of information together.Data collected from different satellites can come from different angles or at different times, making comparisons less precise.GalaxEye’s patented architecture is designed to solve that problem by synchronising the sensors on a single platform, producing spatially and time-aligned observations."This patented technology enables us to serve the global markets and provide weather-agnostic imaging capabilities across sectors," CEO Suyash Singh told news agency Reuters.A CONSTELLATION OF 30 SATELLITESGalaxEye, founded by engineers from IIT Madras, took the technology into space with Mission Drishti, launched on May 3, 2026. An image shows world's first OptoSAR Satellite in space. (Photo: GalaxyEye) The company described it as the world's first OptoSAR satellite, while the Indian government also recognised it as the world's first satellite combining optical cameras and all-weather radar.The mission, however, suffered a setback in July when GalaxEye lost communication with Drishti following an anomaly associated with a geomagnetic solar storm.The company said the mission had nevertheless validated key spacecraft systems before the loss of contact.GalaxEye now plans to build a 30-satellite constellation over the next five years, especially after also acquiring Bengaluru-based spacecraft engineering firm StarOps in August to strengthen its in-house capabilities.Invented in India. Protected globally.We’re proud to announce that GalaxEye has been granted a US patent for the core technology behind our OptoSAR imaging capabilities — making us the first Indian startup to receive a US patent for satellite imaging technology.The same pic.twitter.com/KMdtax419b— GalaxEye (@GalaxEye) September 8, 2026The US patent gives the startup intellectual-property protection as it attempts to turn its Indian-developed technology into a global Earth-observation business.India's own space economy is projected to grow to about $44 billion by 2033, according to the government's space-sector strategy, and this development is a step towards making that projection a reality.- EndsPublished On: Sep 9, 2026 11:05 IST