Latest news with #earthobservation
Reuters
12-08-2025
- Business
- Reuters
India's space regulator picks Google-backed PixxelSpace for home-grown satellite constellation
Aug 12 (Reuters) - India's space regulator has picked a consortium led by Google-backed startup PixxelSpace to build a commercial home-grown constellation of earth observation satellites, with an investment of more than 12 billion rupees (nearly $137 million) over the next five years, it said on Tuesday. The consortium, comprising local space tech firms Piersight Space, Satsure Analytics India and Dhruva Space, will design, build, and operate the satellites, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) said. The PixxelSpace-led consortium won the project, outbidding Indian defence equipment makers Astra Microwave ( opens new tab and Bharat Electronics ( opens new tab. The Indian government wants to reduce its dependence on foreign systems, including the widely used U.S. Global Positioning System (GPS), and says its regional navigation satellite system, called NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation), provides more accurate domestic navigation and that its use would benefit the economy. This is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's drive for self-reliance, which has also expanded the use of NavIC. India has also been pushing tech giants to make smartphones compatible with its home-grown navigation system within months, worrying the likes of Samsung, Xiaomi and Apple. ($1 = 87.6790 Indian rupees)
CNA
12-08-2025
- Business
- CNA
India's space regulator picks Google-backed PixxelSpace for home-grown satellite constellation
India's space regulator has picked a consortium led by Google-backed startup PixxelSpace to build a commercial home-grown constellation of earth observation satellites, with an investment of more than 12 billion rupees (nearly $137 million) over the next five years, it said on Tuesday. The consortium, comprising local space tech firms Piersight Space, Satsure Analytics India and Dhruva Space, will design, build, and operate the satellites, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) said. The PixxelSpace-led consortium won the project, outbidding Indian defence equipment makers Astra Microwave and Bharat Electronics. The Indian government wants to reduce its dependence on foreign systems, including the widely used U.S. Global Positioning System (GPS), and says its regional navigation satellite system, called NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation), provides more accurate domestic navigation and that its use would benefit the economy. This is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's drive for self-reliance, which has also expanded the use of NavIC. India has also been pushing tech giants to make smartphones compatible with its home-grown navigation system within months, worrying the likes of Samsung, Xiaomi and Apple.
Emirates 24/7
31-07-2025
- Science
- Emirates 24/7
Pakistan's PRSS-1 remote-sensing satellite launched from China
The Pakistan Remote-Sensing Satellite (PRSS-1) was launched on Thursday from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in Southwest China's Sichuan province. The satellite was launched aboard a Kuaizhou-1A (KZ-1A) carrier rocket and successfully entered its planned orbit. According to the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), the satellite is designed to significantly enhance earth observation capabilities and will support a wide range of applications, including precision agriculture, land use management, environmental monitoring, urban planning, and disaster mitigation. The satellite's advanced sensors will enable real-time tracking of floods, landslides, glacier melt, earthquakes, and deforestation, according to the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP). It will also aid national infrastructure projects, particularly under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), by identifying geohazard risks, mapping transportation routes, and guiding sustainable development strategies. Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.
The National
21-05-2025
- Business
- The National
Earth observation satellite manufacturing centre announced for Abu Dhabi
A new dedicated commercial earth observation satellite manufacturing centre will be set up in Abu Dhabi. The project is a collaboration between the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (Adio) and the emirate's Space 42. The plant will also serve to create a national space workforce with hands-on industrial expertise, the Abu Dhabi Media Office reported. The initiative was announced during the Make it in the Emirates 2025 manufacturing conference in Abu Dhabi. The media office also reported that the centre would support the emirate's transformation into a global hub for advanced manufacturing. 'This strategic partnership brings together global capability and national ambition,' said Badr Al Olama, director general of Adio. 'By enabling transformative companies like Space42 to scale breakthrough technologies here in Abu Dhabi, we are delivering on our mandate to accelerate the emirate's economic growth and establish future-ready industries. 'The transformational project demonstrates Abu Dhabi's vision in action, enabling knowledge transfer, advancing critical infrastructure and delivering sustainable economic impact.' The synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) satellites, which are capable of capturing high resolution imagery in all weather and light conditions, are said to be crucial for national security, environmental monitoring and disaster response. Space42 Space Systems will oversee the full manufacturing of the satellites, from system design to launch readiness. 'Bringing commercial satellite manufacturing into the UAE marks a pivotal step in realising Space42's strategy,' said Hasan Al Hosani, chief executive of Banayat Smart Solutions at Space42. 'It enhances our sovereign capability in earth observation and strengthens our position as the preferred partner for premium geospatial data. Abu Dhabi is at the centre of this ambition, providing the environment to test, scale and export space-based capabilities that are sovereign at origin and global in application.' The project, announced on Wednesday afternoon, means that Abu Dhabi will, for the first time assemble, integrate and test commercial SAR satellites. As a result it will place the emirate at the forefront of the global space economy and reinforcing its status as a centre of excellence for space innovation, the media office stated. In March, the UAE's most recent SAR satellite lifted off aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The Etihad-Sat was equipped with technology capable of monitoring the planet in any weather, day and night The new centre will also play a major role in supporting Abu Dhabi's plan to develop a pipeline of local talent within the sector. Among the initiatives will be academic and industry programmes including internships for Emiratis as well as technical lectures, industry site visits and research collaborations with leading Abu Dhabi universities.
