Bengaluru-based space technology startup GalaxEye has successfully tested its all-weather, all-time prolonged aerial surveillance technology, which could help augment India’s defense capabilities.

GalaxEye chief executive Suyash Singh says, “The company tested its synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technology on a subscale high altitude pseudo-satellite (HAPS) developed by the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL).”

HAPS are stratospheric drones that can operate at high altitudes and provide extended aerial surveillance capabilities. These platforms can stay in the air for long periods because of sophisticated battery systems and solar energy.

“At the stratosphere, SAR is a technology for all-weather, all-time imaging overcoming the challenge of cloud covers, which restricts traditional electro-optical cameras,” Singh says.

SAR has applications in environmental monitoring and catastrophe management in addition to defence activities. Although the results of the early tests seem promising, more testing will be required before these platforms are used for real-world applications, according to reports.

“There is a platform between satellite and drones, which flies at an altitude of 18 to 20 km, which was also recently tested by some of the companies such as NAL and NewSpace (aerospace and defence R&D company), which is where we tested our SAR on HAPS quite successfully,” Singh adds.

Singh says, “For domestic purposes, it can be used to monitor the state’s agriculture, other economic activities and disasters. One of the primary users of this technology will be the government. We have had a range of discussions with different people. The government would want to look at it more seriously when they get to know that we’ve tested it on a subscale prototype level. There is interest but at an early stage today.”

This electric platform lasts two to three hours and stays in one spot for seven days, whereas aircraft travel at a height of three to eight kilometers. It will be solar-powered during the day and float at the proper height, but the batteries will deplete at night. A very small payload with significantly less size, weight, and power will be needed. HAPS is limited to carrying light payloads. The SAR was reduced in size to weigh less than 10 kg.