Bengaluru: Indian house startup Pixxel has bagged a NASA contract to assist Earth science analysis utilizing the hyperspectral expertise. The Bengaluru-based firm has turn into a part of NASA’s $476-million business smallsat knowledge acquisition programme — a primary for an Indian startup after the house sector was opened to personal corporations in 2020.
Co-founder and CEO Awais Ahmed known as the award a “monumental achievement for Pixxel”. He stated the contract, legitimate until November 2028, “validates that hyperspectral imaging will likely be integral to the way forward for space-based Earth statement and allow us to actually construct a well being monitor for the planet”.
As per the contract, Pixxel will present NASA and its US authorities and educational companions with hyperspectral Earth statement knowledge. This may assist empower the administration’s Earth science analysis and software actions.
Pixxel hyperspectral can seize knowledge throughout lots of of slim wavelengths. Its datasets also can unravel granular insights on local weather change, agriculture, biodiversity, and useful resource administration, amongst others.
Constructing on this momentum, Pixxel can also be making vital strides towards launching six satellites shortly. Fireflies — its 5-metre decision hyperspectral satellites — would be the highest-resolution hyperspectral satellites ever launched.
These satellites will seize knowledge throughout over 250 spectral bands, providing extra complete protection with a 40 km swath width and a 24-hour revisit frequency anyplace on the planet.
As well as, Pixxel additionally plans to develop its constellation to 24 satellites to make hyperspectral knowledge commercially. This may make it extra broadly out there and accessible to stakeholders throughout industries and governments.
Pixxel has a constellation of the world’s highest-resolution hyperspectral imaging satellites which can be designed for 24-hour revisits anyplace on Earth.
The satellites might help detect, monitor, and predict vital world phenomena throughout agriculture, oil and fuel, mining, surroundings, and different sectors in as much as 50 occasions richer element. Pixxel has additionally launched its in-house Earth Remark Studio, Aurora, to make satellite tv for pc imagery evaluation simply accessible.
The corporate has additionally raised over $70 million from Google, Lightspeed, Radical Ventures, Relativity’s Jordan Noone, Seraphim Capital, Ryan Johnson, Blume Ventures, Sparta LLC, Accenture, and others.
