Indian space startup GalaxEye wins US patent for OptoSAR imaging technology

New Delhi: Indian space technology startup GalaxEye said on Tuesday it secured a US patent for the core technology behind its OptoSAR imaging system which combines optical and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors to capture aligned Earth observation data.

It further noted that the patent covers the architecture and system used to synchronise optical and microwave sensors for simultaneous, spatially and temporally matched data acquisition.

However, the same foundational technology has already been patented in India.

The US patent strengthens its intellectual property position as it prepares to scale a planned 30-satellite constellation over the next five years, GalaxEye said.

It has a growing commercial pipeline across domestic and international customers and expects the network to serve defence, government and commercial applications, including agriculture, infrastructure, insurance, maritime intelligence and disaster management.

Moreover, the technology addresses a challenge in Earth observation where optical and SAR sensors have traditionally operated independently or been combined through post-processing.

Data captured at different times, viewing angles or from different platforms can create temporal gaps and spatial misalignment.

GalaxEye's patented architecture is designed to synchronise the two sensing technologies at the system level, combining the visual and spectral information of optical imaging with SAR's day-and-night and all-weather capabilities.

"This is an invention that came out of India," GalaxEye founder and CEO Suyash Singh said. He added that the US patent validates the ability of Indian deep-tech companies to develop globally differentiated technology.

The technology is linked to GalaxEye's Mission Drishti which launched on earlier in May. It said Drishti was the world's first OptoSAR imaging satellite, combining multispectral imaging and SAR on a single satellite platform.

At about 190 kg, Drishti was also India's largest privately built Earth observation satellite at the time of launch.

Additionally, GalaxEye announced the acquisition of Bengaluru-based spacecraft engineering company StarOps in August to strengthen its in-house spacecraft engineering and systems capabilities.

It plans to build on its OptoSAR platform through next-generation satellites, imaging payloads, data processing and AI-driven intelligence capabilities.

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