GalaxEye acquires StarOps to build full-stack satellite capabilities
The Indian spacetech startup is vertically integrating to move beyond imaging payloads into complete space systems.
Indian space technology startup GalaxEye has acquired StarOps, a Bengaluru-based spacecraft engineering firm, to transform itself into a full-stack space systems company. The move allows GalaxEye to integrate the entire satellite lifecycle in-house, from the imaging payload to the spacecraft bus.
Through the acquisition, GalaxEye absorbs StarOps' engineering team and proprietary technologies, gaining immediate access to qualified satellite bus platforms in the 50kg, 150kg, and 250kg classes. StarOps, incorporated in 2022, brings significant local manufacturing to the partnership, having achieved more than 66% indigenization across its satellite systems. The incoming team includes engineers with deep heritage in Indian space exploration, including several members who previously worked on the Lunar Lander and Rover at TeamIndus.
The shift to vertical integration
Founded in 2021, GalaxEye has focused on developing 'OptoSAR' technology. This specialized system combines Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and optical imaging on a single platform, allowing for Earth imagery that remains effective regardless of weather conditions or light levels. Until now, the company's primary expertise lay in the imaging payload itself.
By acquiring StarOps, GalaxEye is moving toward a vertically integrated model. The company will now bring propulsion, avionics, mission operations, and the satellite bus—the structural chassis that supports the payload—under one roof. "By welcoming this exceptional team and their technologies into GalaxEye, we are significantly strengthening our capabilities across satellite engineering," said Suyash Singh, Co-founder and CEO of GalaxEye. He noted that the goal is to build a company capable of designing and operating advanced space systems from India for a global market.
Industry implications
This transition is a significant strategic pivot within the Indian private space sector. By owning the entire technical stack, GalaxEye can reduce its reliance on external suppliers and shorten its development cycles. This autonomy is expected to lower overall mission costs and accelerate the deployment of the OptoSAR constellation, which serves both commercial and defense applications.
Nirmal Suraj Gadde, Co-founder and Missions Lead at StarOps, stated that the team is bringing experience built on first principles from their time at TeamIndus to support GalaxEye's ambitious deployment goals.
What to watch
The industry will now look toward how quickly GalaxEye can integrate these new bus platforms with its OptoSAR payloads. The primary objective remains the successful deployment of a constellation that can provide all-weather imagery. While the acquisition secures the hardware infrastructure, the timeline for the first integrated full-stack mission remains the key milestone for the company.