Qualification model testing of Varuna 2.0 satellite completed by Gujarat startup Piersight

According to DeshGujarat's report, Ahmedabad-based space technology startup Piersight has successfully completed the integration and structural testing of the qualification model for its first commercial Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Automatic Identification System (AIS) satellite 'Varuna 2.0'. This success is a major milestone in its designated maritime surveillance satellite program.

The company has announced that the structural qualification model (SQM) of Varuna 2.0 has been successfully integrated and has successfully passed vibration testing at the Space Applications Centre (SAC) of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) located in Ahmedabad.

This qualification model is designed to verify the structural integrity and engineering configuration of the satellite prior to the development of actual flight hardware. This type of test helps determine whether the spacecraft is capable of withstanding the mechanical stress and vibration encountered during launch.

The Varuna 2.0 satellite will combine two technologies to monitor maritime activities on the seas, including Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Automatic Identification System (AIS). SAR uses radar signals to obtain images of the Earth's surface, including through cloud cover and darkness, while AIS captures identity and location information transmitted by ships.

The combination of these two technologies will help identify vessels detected by radar imagery that do not transmit corresponding AIS signals. This can help identify vessels that turn off their tracking transponders to avoid detection, commonly referred to as dark vessels.

The proposed satellite constellation aims to support numerous applications, including monitoring Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs), tracking illegal fishing, detecting oil spills and unauthorized dumping, tracking ship movements and patterns, and providing data for marine insurance.

Piersight's long-term plan is to establish a 'Varuna' constellation of 32 satellites to provide continuous maritime surveillance. A larger network of satellites will make more frequent observation of ocean regions possible and improve the availability of maritime intelligence for government agencies and commercial operators.

The company had previously announced plans to launch Varuna 2.0 in the year 2027. In September 2026, Norwegian satellite service company Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT) expressed its desire to evaluate Piersight's maritime SAR and AIS data for integration into its Vake maritime surveillance platform.

According to DeshGujarat's report, Piersight was founded in Ahmedabad in 2023 by Gaurav Seth and Vineet Bansal. This startup is developing application-specific SAR systems for maritime surveillance and other Earth observation needs.