Bengaluru: Indian space technology startup GalaxEye has been granted a US patent for technology that synchronises optical and radar sensors on satellites, strengthening the company's efforts to expand its Earth observation business.
The patented technology is central to GalaxEye's OptoSAR imaging system. It is designed to allow optical and microwave sensors, including Synthetic Aperture Radar, or SAR, to capture observations of the same location at the same time.
The system is intended to produce spatially and temporally matched data by combining different types of satellite observations. Optical imaging can provide detailed visual and spectral information but can be affected by cloud cover and darkness. SAR uses radar signals and can operate day and night and through cloud cover.
GalaxEye says combining the two types of observation can provide more consistent Earth observation information for sectors including defence, agriculture, insurance and disaster response.
Chief Executive Officer Suyash Singh said the patented technology would help the company serve global markets with imaging capabilities that can operate in difficult weather and lighting conditions.
The US patent covers the architecture and system developed by GalaxEye to align and synchronise optical and microwave sensors for simultaneous data collection. The company said the same foundational technology has also been patented in India.
GalaxEye has described itself as the first Indian startup to receive a US patent specifically for satellite imaging technology. The claim comes from the company and has not been independently established across all Indian space startups.
The US patent strengthens GalaxEye's intellectual property position as it prepares for a planned constellation of 30 satellites over the next five years. The company says the planned network could support government and commercial applications including national security, agriculture, infrastructure, insurance, maritime intelligence and disaster management.
GalaxEye was founded by engineers from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras and is based in Bengaluru. The company has raised around $21 million in funding.
In August, GalaxEye acquired Bengaluru based spacecraft engineering company StarOps to strengthen its in house satellite manufacturing and systems engineering capabilities.
The patent announcement comes after a setback involving GalaxEye's first satellite, Mission Drishti.
Mission Drishti was launched on May 3, 2026, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The satellite was designed to demonstrate GalaxEye's OptoSAR technology by combining optical imaging and Synthetic Aperture Radar on a single satellite platform.
The company lost communication with the satellite in July after an anomaly during its early operations in orbit. GalaxEye said communication became intermittent during the final stage of its Launch and Early Orbit Phase before being lost altogether.
GalaxEye said the satellite had completed a major portion of its planned early orbit activities before communication was lost. The company also said key spacecraft systems had been validated and important deployment, attitude control, computing and communications activities had been completed.
GalaxEye's initial analysis indicated that radiation effects associated with an extreme geomagnetic solar storm likely affected a critical onboard system. The company said investigations into the precise cause were continuing and that the likelihood of recovering the satellite appeared low.
Despite the loss of communication, GalaxEye said the mission provided engineering information that would help strengthen future missions. The company has said it intends to use lessons from the mission as it develops its next spacecraft.
The patent and the planned satellite constellation come as India's private space industry continues to expand. India's Space Policy 2023 opened more areas of the space sector to private companies and created a framework for greater participation in activities including satellite development and Earth observation.
India expects its commercial space industry to grow significantly in the coming years and is encouraging private investment in the sector.
For GalaxEye, the US patent provides international protection for technology developed in India as the company works to expand its Earth observation business. Its planned 30 satellite constellation remains a future development, while the company continues to build its spacecraft and engineering capabilities.