SAN FRANCISCO – Indian startup SatLeo Labs is preparing to launch its first thermal-imaging payload early next year.

By the end of 2026, the Ahmedabad-based startup intends to launch the first of 12 microsatellites to gather electro-optical and thermal infrared imagery.

“Not only will we be getting the visible dataset of any particular object or area, but also the thermal dataset in two bands: mid-wave infrared and long-wave infrared,” SatLeo CEO Shravan Bhati told SpaceNews.

Long-wave infrared reveals land-surface temperature, while mid-wave infrared exposes forest fires and urban heat islands.

SatLeo was established in 2023 by Bhati, a satellite and geospatial specialist, along with retired Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) scientist Ranendu Ghosh, and Urmil Bakhai, former b

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