A Bengaluru-based house startup has made historical past by giving India the primary non-public earth imaging satellite tv for pc constellation. The constellation -‘Firefly’ – has been developed by Pixxel.
Pixxel – which has places of work in India and america – was began in 2019 by Awais Ahmed and Kshitij Khandelwal whereas they had been nonetheless finding out at Birla Institute of Know-how & Science, Pilani. They’ve already raised $95 million, changing into one in every of India’s satellite tv for pc success tales.
In a single day, three ‘Firefly’ satellites had been launched into 550-kilometre low Earth orbit, utilizing a SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket from Vandenberg House Drive Base, California. Three extra satellites will probably be launched later this yr.
Congratulating Pixxel on this milestone, Dr Somanath, former Chairman of the Indian House Analysis Organisation (ISRO) – underneath whose management new age house startups blossomed – advised NDTV, “I hope that the affect of this hyperspectral imaging functionality seems to be an amazing boon to the sector”.
Until now, all precision earth imaging satellites from India have been owned and operated by the Indian House Analysis Group (ISRO) which has about 52 completely different satellites in house. These days, India’s burgeoning non-public house sector has been more and more giving competitors to the federal government behemoth.
The house knowledge firm stated these satellites are designed to ship crucial local weather and Earth insights with unmatched precision, every satellite tv for pc units a brand new benchmark in hyperspectral imaging. With superior spectral capabilities, close to real-time knowledge assortment, and wide-ranging functions, the ‘Firefly’ constellation is poised to revolutionise how we perceive, work together with, and safeguard our planet’s sources.
Awais Ahmed (left) and Kshitij Khandelwal based Pixxel whereas nonetheless in school.
Praising the singular achievement Lieutenant Common Anil Bhat (retired), Director Common of the Indian House Affiliation (IspA), New Delhi, stated, “Pixxel has discovered a novel area of interest by giving the world high-end imaging satellites that are a recreation changer for each monitoring Earth and defence functions”. He additionally identified that immediately Pixxel is India’s most well-funded house startup which took fast benefit of the opening up of the house sector by the Indian authorities in 2020.
In an announcement, Pixxel stated the ‘Fireflies’, presently the world’s highest-resolution commercial-grade hyperspectral satellites, carry unprecedented precision to monitoring the planet and setting a brand new benchmark for hyperspectral imaging capabilities. With a five-meter decision attained for the primary time in a hyperspectral spacecraft, ‘Fireflies’ are six occasions sharper than the 30-meter commonplace of most present hyperspectral satellites, capturing tremendous particulars beforehand invisible to traditional programs.
“The way forward for our planet is determined by how deeply we perceive it immediately. The profitable deployment of our first business satellites is a defining second for Pixxel and an enormous leap towards redefining how we use house know-how to deal with the planet’s challenges,” stated Awais Ahmed, founder and CEO of Pixxel.
Pixxel’s journey started in April 2022 with the historic launch of ‘Shakuntala’, India’s first non-public Earth-imaging hyperspectral satellite tv for pc, aboard a SpaceX mission by way of Exolaunch, adopted by ‘Anand’ on ISRO’s PSLV.
These milestones catalysed India’s non-public house ecosystem, proving that Indian corporations may ship cutting-edge know-how on par with international leaders.
The ‘Fireflies’ constructed on this legacy, embodying years of indigenous analysis and improvement and engineering excellence and a imaginative and prescient to carry globally related and significant Earth insights from India.
The ‘Firefly’ constellation additionally marks a watershed second in India’s house journey because the nation’s first business satellite tv for pc constellation. These satellites surpass worldwide requirements in hyperspectral imaging, showcasing India’s rising innovation and management in superior house know-how. They embody the spirit of “Make in India” and “Atmanirbharta” whereas highlighting the really progressive affect of India’s house reforms.
Kshitij Khandelwal, co-founder and chief know-how officer (CTO) of Pixxel, stated, “The flexibility of ‘Firefly’ to detect refined adjustments in Earth’s ecosystems will present industries and governments with the exact info wanted to deal with crucial international challenges confidently.”
Mr Ahmed advised Reuters that it plans so as to add 18 extra spacecraft to the six it has already developed, eyeing a share of the satellite tv for pc imaging market projected to achieve $19 billion (roughly Rs 1,64,451 crore) by 2029.
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