A domestically produced spy satellite, crafted by Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL), is scheduled for launch in April, marking India's first venture into local private sector satellite manufacturing.
The satellite aims to provide the Indian armed forces with discreet intelligence, eliminating the need for reliance on foreign vendors for precise coordinates and timing.
The satellite is en-route to Florida for its impending launch. A ground control centre slated for establishment in Bengaluru is under development and is anticipated to be operational soon.
In collaboration with Satellogic, a Latin American company, the centre will facilitate the monitoring and processing of imagery from the satellite. The programme will be a major step towards self-sufficiency in satellite technology for India.
Images captured by the TASL will also be shared with friendly nations. While the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has satellites able to share imagery, their use is constrained due to the extensive coverage required.
A week earlier, ISRO successfully launched the meteorological satellite INSAT-3DS aboard the GSLV F14 spacecraft from the Sriharikota spaceport.
The satellite's primary focus is on studying weather systems and issuing warnings for natural disasters. However, the GSLV has earned a reputation as a "naughty boy" due to its inconsistent performance.
ISRO has collaborated with the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in developing a synthetic aperture radar satellite for Earth observation. But ISRO's Chief S Somanath clarified that it is not a "surveillance satellite”.