Indian startup Pixxel, specializing in hyperspectral imaging, plans to test the technology of orbital data centers on a satellite, designed to provide geospatial intelligence directly from orbit. 4 May 2026 2018, the company announced plans to develop a class demonstrator 200 Kg, which may be launched by the end of the year.
This spacecraft will join Firefly's six satellites, which Pixxel already operates in low Earth orbit (LEO). Satellites must first transmit a large volume of raw data to ground stations, before they can be processed and turned into useful intelligence. According to the representative of the startup, the satellite will carry processors of the level of data centers, similar to those, used on Earth for AI training and inference. Indian company Sarvam, which specializes in AI technologies, has partnered to provide onboard language models and an inference software platform.
Orbital computing platforms can use intense solar radiation, avoiding other restrictions, faced by ground infrastructure. Among the cosmic giants, who are also pursuing this promising market, — American SpaceX and Blue Origin. According to the Pixxel and Sarvam management statement, the companies' partnership lays the foundation for the deployment of a full-fledged and scalable network of orbital data centers in India.
The demonstrator will be developed at Gigapixxel, Pixxel's future Indian venture, intended for increasing the production of satellites to 100 units. The company deployed its first six Firefly satellites last year as part of two SpaceX missions. Each satellite is designed to capture over 135 spectral ranges with resolution 5 meters. Grouping is intended to detect changes, which are not captured by standard monitoring systems. This will allow government and commercial customers to receive data on early signs of vegetation stress, sources of water pollution and mineral compositions (signatures).
Pixxel plans to deploy more powerful Honeybees satellites, which will provide shooting in the short-wave infrared range (SWIR). This will increase the number of spectral channels to 250, while the current Firefly series focuses only on the visible and near-infrared spectra.
Source: https://spacenews.com