Page 2 - Satellite

Pixxel, Dhruva Space launch satellites on SpaceX Falcon-9 from California

Two start-ups Pixxel Space and Dhruva Space launched satellites successfully onboard SpaceX's Falcon-9 rocket on Wednesday from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The launch of three Firefly satellites of Pixxel marked the completion of the first phase of the start-up's constellation of six hyperspectral satellites that would have a closer and clearer look at the Earth. "All 3 Fireflies successfully deployed," Awais Ahmed, founder and CEO of Bengaluru-based Pixxel Space said in a post on X. Pixxel had launched three Firefly satellites in January this year. Hyderabad-based Dhruva Space is also launching its first commercial LEAP-01 satellite carrying payloads from Australia-based Akula Tech and Esper Satellites. LEAP-01 is the first hosted payload mission carried out by DhruvaSpace for two Australian firms. "Our earlier launches showed what was possible; this one shows what's next. Expanding to six Fireflies will transform hyperspectral imaging from isolated snapshots into

SpaceX to launch Indian startups Pixxel, Dhruva Space satellites into orbit

Bengaluru-based space start-up Pixxel Space is launching three more hyperspectral earth imaging satellites onboard SpaceX's Falcon-9 rocket on Tuesday night, marking the completion of the first phase of Firefly -- India's maiden private earth imaging satellite constellation. Hyderabad-based Dhruva Space is also launching its first commercial LEAP-01 mission carrying payloads from Australia-based Akula Tech and Esper Satellites onboard the Falcon-9 rocket from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Pixxel had launched the first set of three Firefly satellites in January and the additional three satellites would mark the completion of the first phase of the constellation, creating a six-satellite network in the sun-synchronous low earth orbit at 550 km. Each compact approximately 50-kilogram satellite carries advanced sensors powerful enough to deliver the highest-resolution commercial hyperspectral imagery available, capturing data in more than 135 spectral bands at 5-metre .

Hijacked satellites, orbiting weapons: Space new battlefield in this era

As Russia held its Victory Day parade this year, hackers backing the Kremlin hijacked an orbiting satellite that provides television service to Ukraine. Instead of normal programing, Ukrainian viewers saw parade footage beamed in from Moscow: waves of tanks, soldiers and weaponry. The message was meant to intimidate, and it was also an illustration that 21st century war is waged not just on land, sea and air but also in cyberspace and the reaches of outer space. Disabling a satellite could deal a devastating blow without a single bullet, and it can be done by targeting the satellite's security software or disrupting its ability to send or receive signals from Earth. If you can impede a satellite's ability to communicate, you can cause a significant disruption, said Tom Pace, CEO of NetRise, a cybersecurity firm focused on protecting supply chains. He served in the Marines before working on cyber issues at the Department of Energy. Think about GPS, he said. Imagine if a population l

Pixxel-led consortium set to build India's first commercial EO satellite

To launch a constellation of 12 such satellites with an investment of ₹1.2K cr

IN-SPACe picks Google-backed PixxelSpace for satellite constellation

The PixxelSpace-led consortium won the project, outbidding Indian defence equipment makers Astra Microwave and Bharat Electronics

Tata group's Nelco, Eutelsat tie up for OneWeb LEO satellite connectivity

According to the agreement, Nelco will partner OneWeb India Communications to provide secure, low-latency LEO connectivity to customers in the country

NISAR launch among world's most precise, says Isro chief Narayanan

ISRO Chairman V Narayanan has said the successful launch of the NISAR satellite was one of the most precise launches in the world, and NASA was excited to see that India could successfully carry it out using the indigenously developed GSLV Mark vehicle. He was speaking to reporters on Thursday night at the international airport here, a day after ISRO successfully placed the NISAR (NASAISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) mission onboard a GSLV-F16 rocket from this spaceport. "They were so excited to understand that Indians could successfully launch using the indigenously developed GSLV marked vehicle--our own vehicle for placing the satellite into orbit. They were excited and extremely happy," he said in response to a query. According to Narayanan, it was one of the most precise launches in the world, with a five-stage rocket operating flawlessly at every stage, injecting the satellite into its precise orbit with a margin of just two to three kilometres. "It is an unimaginable achievemen

Starlink gets satellite internet permit, spectrum norms ready: Scindia

Elon Musk-led Starlink has received a licence to launch satellite service in India, and a framework for spectrum allocation is also in place for a smooth rollout, Union Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Thursday. The announcement was made on the eve of the 30th anniversary of the first cellular call made in the country in 1995. "Starlink has been granted a Unified License to launch satellite internet services in India. Frameworks for spectrum allocation and gateway establishment are ready, ensuring smooth rollout," Scindia said. Along with Starlink, Bharti Group-backed Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio SES are also awaiting spectrum allocation to roll out their satcom services. The minister said that over the last 11 years, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India's digital transformation has been nothing short of extraordinary. "From remote villages to bustling cities, digital access has empowered citizens, bridged divides, and made India a global leader in .

Chinese researchers suggest lasers to counter Musk's Starlink satellites

Stealth submarines fitted with space-shooting lasers, supply-chain sabotage and custom-built attack satellites armed with ion thrusters. Those are just some of the strategies Chinese scientists have been developing to counter what Beijing sees as a potent threat: Elon Musk's armada of Starlink communications satellites. Chinese government and military scientists, concerned about Starlink's potential use by adversaries in a military confrontation and for spying, have published dozens of papers in public journals that explore ways to hunt and destroy Musk's satellites, an Associated Press review found. Chinese researchers believe that Starlink a vast constellation of low-orbit satellites that deliver cheap, fast and ubiquitous connectivity even in remote areas poses a high risk to the Chinese government and its strategic interests. That fear has mostly been driven by the company's close ties to the US intelligence and defence establishment, as well as its growing global footprint.

Starlink to have 2 mn customers in India, offer 200 mbps speed: MoS Telecom

Union Minister says Starlink will be limited to 2 million users in India, offer 200 Mbps, and won't affect telecom services due to high costs and focus on rural, remote areas

DoT may stick to Trai's satellite spectrum pricing recommendations

The department issued a letter of intent to Starlink on May 7, days before the pricing recommendations were announced, but trial spectrum for testing services has not yet been allocated

Pak looks to formulate stricter regulations for foreign satellite operators

Pakistan has been delaying the launch of satellite-based internet services as authorities look to invite more players into the field and formulate stricter regulations for foreign satellite operators, according to a media report. The role of satellite-linked communication systems came under sharp focus after the recent India-Pakistan and Iran-Israel conflicts, prompting authorities in Pakistan to formulate new guidelines for companies in the business of satellite internet. The Dawn newspaper reported that following the expiration of the temporary no-objection certificate (NOC) for Starlink in March, all foreign satellite operators are now required to submit new applications under the newly drafted Satellite Communications Regulations. The regulations are being finalised by the Pakistan Space Activities Regulatory Board (PSARB), based on industry feedback gathered during a recent roundtable discussion. A senior official from the Ministry of IT and Telecom emphasised the need for ...

UK to invest 163 million euros in Eutelsat, Bharti Space ups stake

The UK government will invest 163 million Euros in Eutelsat, boosting the satellite operator's capital raise to 1.5 billion Euros

SatSure, Dhruva Space sign MoU to deliver end-to-end space-based solutions

The strategic partnership aims to combine Earth Observation analytics with satellite platform capabilities to serve strategic and commercial users with high-reliability Indian tech

Bharti Space to invest $36 million in French satellite major Eutelsat

Eutelsat to raise €1.35 billion via capital increase and rights issue to expand LEO satellite capacity and repay debt; Bharti Space to invest €31.4 million

Spacetech startup GalaxEye to build second satellite with 0.5 m resolution

Built entirely in-house, the satellite will offer 0.5m resolution and sub-3-day revisit for real-time geospatial insights across defence, disaster response and urban security

Vi partners with AST SpaceMobile for direct-to-cell satcom in India

The latest tie-up marks the third and final private sector telecom company to officially enter the unfolding satcom race

Vodafone Idea partners AST Spacemobile to offer satellite phone services

Telecom operator Vodafone Idea on Wednesday announced a partnership with Satcom firm AST SpaceMobile, a rival of Elon Musk-owned SpaceX, to deliver satellite services on smartphones directly. AST SpaceMobile is building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by smartphones, designed for commercial and government applications, Vodafone Idea said in a statement. "Vi (Vodafone Idea) and AST SpaceMobile Inc...announced a strategic partnership to expand mobile connectivity across India's unconnected regions. AST SpaceMobile made history by placing the first-ever voice and video call from space using a standard mobile phone, a milestone that demonstrates the real-world viability of its advanced technology," the statement said. The company did not disclose the date for the launch of the service. Vi's competitors Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio have joined hands with SpaceX to sell services of its satellite communications (satcom) arm Starlink in ...

Vi, AST SpaceMobile tie-up to offer direct-to-device satellite connectivity

US-based AST SpaceMobile develops satellites that deliver 4G and 5G connectivity directly to standard smartphones without the need for any other equipment

Upcoming kharif crop area estimates to be fully based on satellite data

India will use satellite data instead of the traditional girdawari system for estimating kharif crop acreage, improving accuracy and coverage across all districts