Mission Drishti Loses Communication After Solar Storm:
Mission Drishti, the world’s first OptoSAR satellite lost communication after developing an anomaly caused by a geomagnetic solar storm. Preliminary analysis indicates that radiation from the storm affected a critical onboard system during the final stage of the Launch and Early Orbit Phase.Drishti was the world’s first satellite designed to capture optical multi-spectral and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images of the same location simultaneously.It was designed to address the tropical cloud-cover problem, as its SAR sensors could penetrate clouds and operate at night, while its optical sensors provided clearer and more intuitive imagery.When clouds obstructed the optical view, the satellite could use Artificial Intelligence to generate optical-like images from SAR data, making the information easier for non-experts to interpret.
Synchronization: Drishti used a proprietary technology stack to synchronise its optical and SAR sensors, enabling instant data fusion without manually aligning datasets captured from different angles.The satellite was intended to support border surveillance, defence, disaster response, agriculture, infrastructure planning and insurance assessment, particularly during floods, cyclones and landslides.The mission reinforced the growth of India’s private space ecosystem alongside companies such as Agnikul Cosmos, known for 3D-printed rocket engines, and Skyroot Aerospace, which develops privately built rockets.
