1 hr ago
Gujarat-Built Thermal Satellite Launches Aboard SpaceX Falcon 9
A small satellite payload made by Ahmedabad-based Satleo Labs was sent into space on a SpaceX rocket.
It is called TAPAS-1 and is designed to see heat patterns on Earth.
The payload is about the size and weight of a small CubeSat unit.
It will orbit about 500 kilometers above Earth.
Its pictures can show which places are hotter or cooler.
Farmers could use the information to plan crops and monitor water stress.
Cities could use it to understand and reduce heat problems.
The data may also help detect forest fires and study weather and climate.
Satleo says it plans to launch more satellites in the coming years.
Satleo Labs’ TAPAS-1 launched aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-18 rideshare mission from California.
The 1.5-kilogram payload was placed in a 500-kilometer-high low Earth orbit.
TAPAS-1 will capture high-resolution images showing heat and temperature variations on Earth.
Its data could support agriculture, urban heat planning, disaster monitoring, defence, and climate analysis.
Satleo plans eight more satellites by 2029 after securing Rs 60 crore in funding.
- Who
- Satleo Labs, an Ahmedabad-based space technology startup founded by Shravan Singh Bhati, Dr Ranendu Ghosh, and Urmil Bakhai.
- What
- Its TAPAS-1 thermal-imaging payload was launched into low Earth orbit aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-18 mission.
- Where
- The Falcon 9 launched from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, and TAPAS-1 was placed in a 500-kilometer-high orbit.
- When
- The launch took place minutes after midnight in India on Thursday, October 1.
- Why
- To collect thermal images that can support agriculture, urban planning, disaster monitoring, defence, and climate analysis.
Key facts
- Payload
- TAPAS-1, a thermal infrared camera and CubeSat-category payload
- Developer
- Satleo Labs, founded in Ahmedabad in 2023
- Payload weight
- 1.5 kilograms
- Orbit
- Approximately 500 kilometers above Earth
- Planned operating period
- Three years
- Letters of Intent
- Approximately $52 million, with about 60% from companies outside India
- Expansion plans
- Eight more satellites by 2029, including TAPAS-2 and the proposed PYRO constellation
Quotes
Shravan Singh Bhati
CEO and co-founder of Satleo Labs
“Temperature variations across different areas of a city can be tracked in real time. Different areas of a city have different temperatures. This can help municipal corporations undertake the necessary planning to address heat stress.”
indianexpress.com
“It can provide highly important data for the agricultural sector. Through this, planning required for crops can be undertaken in a more modern and accurate manner. It can also be useful in urban planning.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
Related news
SatLeo to Launch TAPAS-1 Thermal Camera on SpaceX Falcon 9
Pixxel Raises $100 Million in India’s Largest Spacetech Funding Round
Indian startup TakeMe2Space plans orbital computing satellite launch on SpaceX
India’s Spacetech Sector Enters Commercialisation Phase Amid Funding Surge
Google Launches First AI Satellite Prototype Into Orbit
Skyroot Targets Second Vikram-1 Rocket Launch by 2026-End
Justice Department Accuses UCLA Law of Race-Based Admissions Bias
AI Agents Go Rogue, Raising Questions About Corporate Liability
Former Firefighter Added to FBI Wanted List After Disappearance
Trump, Newsom Split Over What To Call Artificial Intelligence
