Indian Startup Launches Varuna Satellite for Revolutionary Maritime Surveillance

Indian space tech startup PierSight has introduced the Varuna satellite, designed to provide round-the-clock all-weather maritime surveillance. This groundbreaking mission aims to revolutionize maritime intelligence through the deployment of cutting-edge imaging technology. PierSight’s ultimate goal is to establish a constellation of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Automatic Identification System (AIS) satellites, starting with Varuna.

The SAR & AIS satellite constellation will offer complete ocean coverage with revisit times as short as 30 minutes, surpassing the limitations of traditional optical satellites. Equipped with Synthetic Aperture Radars, Varuna can penetrate cloud cover, adverse weather conditions, and darkness, enabling persistent monitoring for accurate ship tracking, oil spill detection, and safeguarding critical infrastructure like undersea cables and pipelines.

Varuna, developed in a record nine months, showcases innovative features such as a SAR system in CubeSAT format and an indigenous reflectarray antenna. PierSight’s CTO and Co-founder, Vinit Bansal, emphasized the mission’s goal to achieve Technology Readiness Level-9 for all subsystems, ensuring flightworthiness for future endeavors. Co-founded by ex-ISRO scientist Gaurav Seth and Bansal, PierSight’s Varuna satellite sets new industry standards with its rapid deployment capabilities and launch-on-demand readiness. Scheduled for launch aboard ISRO’s PSLV launcher on the POEM platform, Varuna is poised to make a significant impact within the year.

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