Contact lost with Drishti, world’s first OptoSAR satellite, Pg14

Key Highlights:

• Bengaluru-based space start-up GalaxEye lost contact with its Mission Drishti satellite.
• Mission Drishti, launched in May, was the world’s first OptoSAR satellite and India’s largest privately developed earth observation satellite.
• The loss of contact occurred during the Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP) following an anomaly caused by a geomagnetic solar storm.
• The satellite was launched on May 3 aboard a Falcon 9 rocket by SpaceX from Vandenberg, California.

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Detailed Insights:

• Initial root cause analysis indicates that radiation effects from the geomagnetic solar storm likely impacted a critical onboard system.
• Communication with the spacecraft became intermittent and was eventually lost, with the likelihood of recovery currently appearing low.
• Mission Drishti was designed to integrate both Electro-Optical (EO) and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) sensors into a single operational platform.
• This incident highlights the challenges and risks associated with space missions, particularly during critical early operational phases.

Scientific/Technical Concepts Involved:

• OptoSAR Satellite: A satellite that combines both electro-optical and synthetic aperture radar sensors for enhanced earth observation capabilities.
• Geomagnetic Solar Storm: A temporary disturbance of the Earth's magnetosphere caused by a solar wind shock wave or cloud of magnetic field.
• Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP): The critical period immediately after a satellite's launch, involving maneuvers to reach its final orbit and initial system checks.
• Electro-Optical (EO) sensors: Passive sensors that detect and measure light in the visible and infrared spectrum, providing imagery similar to traditional cameras.
• Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) sensors: Active sensors that transmit radar signals and process the reflected signals to create high-resolution images, independent of weather or daylight.