Tata Advanced Systems (TASL), Tata Sons' wholly-owned subsidiary, has launched India’s first private sector-built sub-metre resolution earth observation satellite, TSAT-1A, in collaboration with Satellogic. The satellite was launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, by SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on April 7. The satellite was assembled at TASL’s facility in Karnataka. Elon Musk's SpaceX launched a total of 11 satellites in its maiden Bandwagon flight.
TSAT-1A will provide high-resolution satellite images with low-latency delivery. The Indian armed forces are expected to be one of its major users. This is the first sub-metre high-resolution earth observation satellite by the private sector in India, according to Sukaran Singh, CEO and MD of TASL.
The satellite, weighing less than 50 kg, is in low-earth orbit. Singh clarified that their primary customers will be the government and forces, but they will also target commercial customers. Singh also highlighted the significance of the inclined orbit where TSAT-1A was launched, which allows for more frequent revisits to areas of interest than the Sun Synchronous Polar Orbit (SSPO).
TASL is focusing on four areas: assembly, integration, and testing of the satellite and launching it from either SpaceX or ISRO; data download; processing raw data and adding layers of AI; and satellite control centre.
“Congratulations to both teams on the efficient collaboration that brought TSAT-1A to life and ready for launch,” commented Emiliano Kargieman, CEO at Satellogic. “This illustrates the flexibility of Satellogic’s Space Systems program, offering governments and enterprises the ability to tailor a proven satellite model for their specific needs, and reach orbit within a favorable timeframe.”