Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and Satellogic officially announced the successful launch of India’s first privately built sub-metre resolution optical satellite, TSAT-1A, on April 7, 2024. The satellite was launched from Kennedy Space Centre, Florida, US, as part of Bandwagon-1 mission of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.
This joint venture aims to use Satellogic’s expertise in developing and integrating advanced earth observation satellites and TASL’s to undertake such complex system integration. The satellite will majorly be used by the government and the armed forces of India.
Why in News?
TSAT-1A is India’s first private-sector-built satellite. This is the first collaboration between TASL and Satellogic. This achievement follows the collaboration between TASL and Satellogic that was siged in November 2023, leveraging Satellogic’s expertise to develop and integrate an advanced EO satellite in India and TASL’s capability to undertake complex system integration, said the two companies in a joint statement.
“This milestone shows TASL’s commitment to the space sector. This is a first step. Our partnership with Satellogic has enabled us to deliver an assembled and tested in India, best-in-class, fully integrated sub-meter optical satellite which was launched aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket for the Bandwagon-1 mission,” said Sukaran Singh, CEO and MD of TASL.
“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,” Emiliano Kargieman, CEO at Satellogic said in the statement.
TASL is one of the leading private-sector players in aerospace and defence solutions in India. It is a subsidiary wholly owned by Tata Sons. Satellogic Inc. is the first vertically integrated geospatial company and a leading provider of high-resolution satellite imagery. The joint venture of the two companies can be seen as revolutionary in the field of space.
About TSAT-1A Satellite
TSAT-1A is the first privately built sub-metre resolution optical satellite of India. The satellite will provide high-resolution satellite images with increased collection capacity and low-latency delivery.
"TSAT-1A will deliver high-resolution optical satellite images with increased collection capacity, dynamic range, and low-latency delivery through its multispectral and hyperspectral capabilities," said Sukaran Singh in the press release.
The TSAT-1A weighs less than 50 kg and is in low-earth orbit. The inclined orbit of the satellite will allow it for more frequent revisits to the desired area than the Sun Synchronous Polar Orbit (SSPO).
What is its significance?
TSAT-1A is expected to be majorly used by the armed forces of the country. Sukaran Singh, CEO and MD of TASL in a statement said that the company will also target some commercial customers, but their primary customers will still be the government and forces.
As per the company statement, TSAT-1A was assembled in TASL's Assembly, Integration, and Testing (AIT) plant at the Vemagal facility in Karnataka. This is the first satellite of Tata Son’s space subsidiary, which can be considered a milestone in the private space sector of the country.
TASL had collaborated with Satellogic Inc. in November 3, 2023. This collaboration aimed to use Satellogic’s expertise in developing and integrating advanced earth observation satellites and Tata Son’s TASL to undertake such complex system integration.
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