Digantara To Launch Satellite On Elon Musk’s SpaceX Rocket

Digantara To Launch Satellite On Elon Musk’s SpaceX Rocket

SUMMARY

Digantara is set to launch its maiden dedicated surveillance satellite, SCOT (space camera for object tracking)

SCOT is designed to track resident space objects (RSOs) with high frequency and precision

The satellite will operate in a sun-synchronous orbit, enabling continuous monitoring of the near-Earth environment and supporting safer spacecraft operations

Bengaluru-based space surveillance company Digantara is set to launch its maiden dedicated surveillance satellite, SCOT (space camera for object tracking), aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-12 mission.

Notably, SCOT is designed to track resident space objects (RSOs) with high frequency and precision, addressing gaps in current global space surveillance systems. 

The satellite’s capabilities include tracking objects as small as 5 cm in low earth orbit (LEO) and providing persistent monitoring unaffected by weather or geographic limitations.

“With SCOT, we are taking a crucial step in achieving surveillance superiority, ensuring not only a safer and more sustainable space environment but also towards safeguarding sovereign assets in the face of an increasingly contested space domain…” said Digantara CEO Anirudh Sharma.

The satellite will operate in a sun-synchronous orbit, enabling continuous monitoring of the near-Earth environment and supporting safer spacecraft operations. 

Founded in 2018 by Anirudh Sharma, Rahul Rawat and Tanveer Ahmed, Digantara is building an end-to-end space operations infrastructure that plans to support stakeholders across the entire value chain and life cycle of a spacecraft mission. 

The startup has its own space debris detector as its flagship offering and it aims to create a constellation of satellites to track objects as small as 1 cm. 

Last year, the startup marked the final close of its Series A1 funding round at $12 Mn. Backed by the likes of Peak XV Partners, Aditya Birla Ventures and state-backed lender Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), Digantara has raised $14.5 Mn in funding till date. 

Digantara operates in the larger Indian spacetech ecosystem which has seen significant growth in the past few years on the back of government push and hefty inflow of VC capital into the sector. This has spawned the rise of homegrown players such as Agnikul, Bellatrix, Pixxel, and Skyroot across various levels of the space value chain. 

As per Inc42, the Indian spacetech sector is estimated to reach a market size of $77 Bn by 2030.

However, according to Indian Startup Funding Report 2024, total funding raised by Indian spacetech startups fell 35% YoY to $81 Mn last year, even as the number of deals rose from 11 in 2023 to 14 in 2024.

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Digantara To Launch Satellite On Elon Musk’s SpaceX Rocket-Inc42 Media
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