Context: The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) announced the selection of a consortium led by Google-backed PixxelSpace to design, build and operate India’s first fully-indigenous commercial Earth Observation (EO) satellite constellation, under the public-private partnership (PPP) model.
Relevance of the Topic:Prelims: Key facts about India’s first private constellation of Earth Observation Satellites.
Mains: Commercialisation of the Space Sector in India.
India’s first private constellation of Earth Observation Satellites
- India’s first private constellation of Earth Observation (EO) Satellites will be built by a consortium led by Google-backed PixxelSpace. It also includes Piersight Space, Satsure Analytics India and Dhruva Space.
- The consortium will invest more than ₹1,200 crore over the next five years to launch a constellation of 12 EO satellites.
- The 12 EO satellite constellation will be entirely designed, manufactured, and operated in India. The constellation will be deployed in a phased manner over the next four years.
- The satellites will be equipped with panchromatic, multispectral, hyperspectral and microwave synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors.
- Applications: Deliver analysis-ready data and value-added services for applications in:
- Climate Change Monitoring
- Disaster Management
- Agriculture
- Infrastructure and Urban Planning
- Marine Surveillance
- National Security
Under the PPP framework, the government will provide strategic, technical and policy support, while the consortium will own and operate the EO system, including satellite manufacturing, launches from Indian soil, ground infrastructure and commercialisation of data services.
Significance:
- Demonstrates the capability of Indian private space companies to lead largescale, technologically advanced and commercially viable space missions that serve both national and global markets.
- Advance world-class space-tech capability that will deliver analysis-ready data and value-added services to serve India, as well as the whole planet.
- Enhance India’s data sovereignty, reduce dependence on foreign imagery and ensure that all satellites are manufactured domestically, launched on Indian rockets and controlled from within the country.
The project is also expected to create thousands of high-skill jobs and contribute to India’s target of growing its space economy from $8.4 billion in 2022 to $44 billion by 2033.
Also Read: What is Synthetic Aperture Radar?