Private sector player Nibe plans intelligence satellites constellation, sets seven-year target
The company, which specialises in defence components and has contracts for subsystems in major projects like the Pinaka launcher, MRSAM and modular bridges, plans to launch a complement of 23 satellites at the earliest, taking it up to 40 in the longer term.
“We are looking at a timeline of 6 to 7 years to have the full constellation up and running with the first satellite which will be a full capability satellite launched as soon as possible,” Ganesh Nibe, Chairman Nibe Industries told ET.
He added that the satellites will have a combination of Optical, Infra-Red and Synthetic Aperture Radar technology and will be supported by ground data and control centers. The company envisages the constellation to reach 40 satellites for full coverage.
“The primary use case would be the Indian intelligence community but there are also many civil applications like for agriculture, water resources, urban planning and disaster management,” Nibe added. The intelligence gathering capability of the constellation will be offered to central and state governments and paramilitaries.
As per plans, the satellites will offer military grade resolution of 50 cm with a high revisit time to cater for the needs of the armed forces. The constellation can be offered for either a lease term or for specific product requirements of the users.Given the resources required, the company has gone for a consortium approach and has roped in Indian and global military companies like Thales Alenia Space and Larsen and Toubro. French company Thales will be the technology partner for the project. It has also roped in Indian startups like AgniKul and Skyroot that are building space launch vehicles.
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