Space startup GalaxEye, founded by IIT Madras alumni, plans private satellite launch in 2025, ET Telecom

Chennai: Pranit Mehta, co-founder of space startup GalaxEye, who along with four other members of his team spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on radio show Mann Ki Baat on Sunday, said they plan to launch their own constellation of satellites next year.

Speaking to the Prime Minister, five IIT Madras alumni — Suyash, Daniel, Rakshit, Kishan and Praneet — said this is an opportunity to tap into the space sector, considering the country is growing at the fastest pace and that this opens up a lot of new opportunities.

Among the various space sector policies and reforms was the government’s groundbreaking decision to open up the space sector to private companies in 2020.

GalaxEye is a startup spun out of IIT Madras by its alumni, founded in 2021. As part of the startup, they have built a sensor that can actually penetrate clouds, solving several problems specific to India.

GalaxEye is capable of delivering images even in cloudy conditions and at night, which the co-founder says is their “most powerful technology.”

Pranit, speaking to ANI later, said the interest of the Prime Minister and the government in the space sector prompted them to venture into this field.

“We know it’s a growing sector and a priority for the government. I think as a startup, as a team, we’re all extremely, even more depressed,” Pranit told ANI.

Asked about the short-term and long-term goal of GalaxEye, Pranit said, “Now we are looking to launch our own constellation of satellites. ISRO has been launching satellites for the last few decades and with privatisation we want to take that a step further.”

“We are launching the largest private satellite for India and it is something that will be launched next year,” Pranit added.

The startup’s co-founder praised government support for the space sector.

“For example, privatisation, allowing companies to own and operate satellites in a much more independent manner. Secondly, bodies like InSpace are being created, which help facilitate interactions between ISRO and startups. Because as a startup, we don’t have all the know-how and background that a body like ISRO has. So we have a lot of such reforms where we can engage ISRO and get their advice and guidance on what we are doing,” he said.

In 2023, India, showcasing its extraordinary talent, scaled new heights with the successful soft landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the lunar south pole and the successful launch of Aditya-L1, India’s first solar mission.

These milestones have not only strengthened India’s position in the global space economy but also spurred the growth of the private space sector in India.

India’s current plans include setting up the Bharatiya Antariksha station by 2035 and sending the first Indian to the Moon by 2040.

Indian space startups have emerged as a strong pillar of the private space industry over the past decade, especially after the groundbreaking move to open up India’s space sector to private companies in 2020.

India is currently preparing for the ambitious Gaganyaan mission, which aims to demonstrate the feasibility of human spaceflight by sending a crew of astronauts into orbit and returning them safely to Earth by landing in Indian sea waters.

Robot astronaut ‘Vyommitra’ will fly into space ahead of ISRO’s ambitious Gaganyaan mission. This will be India’s first manned space flight involving Indian astronauts.

The government had earlier said that the pre-Vyommitra mission was scheduled for this year, while the manned Gaganyaan mission is expected to be launched in 2025.