Bengaluru: Bengaluru-based spacetech startup Digantara is preparing to launch its first dedicated space surveillance satellite, SCOT (Space Camera for Object Tracking), on SpaceX’s Transporter-12 mission. The satellite is designed to improve tracking and monitoring of objects in space, particularly resident space objects (RSOs) in low Earth orbit (LEO).
Satellite Designed to Close Gaps in Space Surveillance
SCOT aims to address existing gaps in global space surveillance by offering high-frequency, precise tracking of space objects. The satellite can monitor objects as small as 5 cm in LEO and provides persistent tracking unaffected by weather or geographic constraints. It will operate in a sun-synchronous orbit, allowing continuous observation of the near-Earth environment.
According to Digantara CEO Anirudh Sharma, the satellite is a step towards enhancing space surveillance capabilities and ensuring safer operations for spacecraft.
Digantara’s Long-Term Vision for Space Safety
Founded in 2018 by Anirudh Sharma, Rahul Rawat, and Tanveer Ahmed, Digantara focuses on developing space operations infrastructure. The company’s flagship offering is a space debris detector, and it aims to create a satellite constellation capable of tracking objects as small as 1 cm, which would enhance global efforts to address the growing space debris issue.
Funding and Ecosystem Growth
Digantara has raised $14.5 million to date, including $12 million from its Series A1 funding round last year. Its investors include Peak XV Partners, Aditya Birla Ventures, and SIDBI. The startup operates in India’s growing spacetech sector, which has benefited from increased government support and venture capital funding.
Other notable players in the Indian spacetech ecosystem include Agnikul, Bellatrix, Pixxel, and Skyroot, all of which are contributing to various segments of the space value chain. The upcoming launch of SCOT is part of a broader push to strengthen India’s position in the global spacetech arena.
