The Odyssey Begins: Exseed Space–India’s First Private Satellite, Successfully Launched By Elon Musk’s SpaceX

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket launched Exseed Sat-1, India’s first satellite made by a private company, into space on Monday (5 December 2018), as reported by Times Of India (TOI).

The Indian payload was put into the polar orbit along with 63 other satellites from 17 countries, belonging to a wide variety of government, academic and private-sector users -- including artists. This was a record for the private space company, run by the tech entrepreneur, Elon Musk.

This successful launch has made Mumbai-based Exseed Space, the first private company in India to put a satellite into space. The startup’s founder, Kris Nair, tweeted to commemorate the occasion.

The communication satellite, which weighs less than a kilogram, will serve the amateur radio community and facilitate coordination of relief efforts during times of natural disasters in the country.

India’s state-run space agency, ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) has, in recent years, supported the involvement of the private sector in the country’s space endeavours. In a first, it was reported in July 2018 that ISRO had tied up with three companies to build as many as 27 satellites in the next three years.

Also Read: How ISRO Satellites Are Playing A Role In Saving Lives In Kerala