Pixxel
TypePrivate
IndustryAerospace
FoundedFebruary 2019 (2019-02)
Founders
  • Awais Ahmed
  • Kshitij Khandelwal
Headquarters
Bengaluru
,
India
Key people
  • Awais Ahmed
    (CEO)
  • Kshitij Khandelwal
    (CTO)
ServicesSatellite imagery
Websitepixxel.space

Pixxel is an Indian[1] based private space technology company, aiming to put a constellation of 30+ hyperspectral Earth observation micro-satellites into a Sun-synchronous orbit in the 2020s.[2][3] The company is headquartered in El Segundo, California and Bengaluru, Karnataka. It was founded by Awais Ahmed and Kshitij Khandelwal while still studying at BITS Pilani in 2019.[4] Pixxel was also Asia's only space startup to qualify for the 2019 Techstars Starburst Space Accelerator in Los Angeles.[5][6]

History

Pixxel's first satellite, Anand, was earlier scheduled to be launched in late 2020 on a Soyuz rocket.[7] It later entered in an agreement with India's state owned NSIL to use a PSLV rocket for launching it in early 2021.[8] Its launch on board the PSLV-C51 was delayed in February 2021 due to technical issues.[9] It is now expected to launch on-board the PSLV-C54/EOS-06 mission.[10] The PSLV-C54 was successfully launched on 26 November 2022 at 11:56 IST / 06:12 UTC.

Pixxel launched the first of its three demonstration satellite through a hosted camera payload partnership with the Lithuanian firm, NanoAvionics on 30 June 2021 in their D2/Altacom-1 satellite on a SpaceX Falcon-9 rideshare mission, Transporter-2.[11]

Pixxel launched its second satellite, Shakuntala/TD-2 on a SpaceX Falcon-9 rideshare mission, Transporter-4 on April 1, 2022.[10][12]

Anand and Shakuntala are a part of the three demonstration satellites that Pixxel planned to launch. It plans to launch the first 6 satellites of its Firefly constellation in 2023 and 12 more by the end of 2024.[10]

Pixxel announced that it will provide the highest resolution commercially available hyperspectral images. It raised $2.3 million in March 2021 from Techstars, Omnivore VC and others. This is in addition to the $5 million it raised in August 2020 from Lightspeed Ventures and others.[13] Canadian firm Radical Ventures led a $25 million funding round in March 2022. The company has raised total funding of $33 million.[11]

The company claims that its constellation is designed to provide global coverage at a revisit of every 24 hours.[14]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Bengaluru space start-up Pixxel bags contract to provide hyperspectral imagery to U.S. reconnaissance office". The Hindu. 23 March 2023. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  2. ↑ Siddiqui, Huma (20 May 2020). "Pixxel aiming big to put India on the global space map, says Awais Ahmed, Founder and CEO". The Financial Express. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  3. ↑ "Pixxel to Launch its Maiden Satellite". Silicon India. 13 November 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  4. ↑ Chakraberty, Sumit (11 August 2019). "How this student startup landed in a space accelerator". Livemint. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  5. ↑ Sheldon, John (5 November 2019). "India's Pixxel Partners With Italy's Leaf Space For Leaf Line Service Agreement". SpaceWatch.Global. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  6. ↑ "Skymet joins hands with Bengaluru-based firm Pixxel for earth imageries". The Hindu @businessline. 24 October 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  7. ↑ Jayakumar, PB (7 July 2020). "Indian space-tech startup prepares to launch 24 satellites; aims to send first one by Nov". Business Today. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  8. ↑ "Pixxel signs pact with NSIL to launch India's first private remote-sensing satellite". The Hindu. 4 December 2020. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  9. ↑ "Space startup Pixxel's satellite launch delayed again". The Economic Times. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  10. 1 2 3 Das, Shouvik (1 April 2022). "Pixxel launches its first satellite aboard SpaceX, to launch seven more by 2023". mint. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  11. 1 2 "Pixxel raises $25 million for hyperspectral imaging constellation". SpaceNews. 29 March 2022. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  12. ↑ Mike Wall (1 April 2022). "SpaceX launches 40 satellites into orbit, lands rocket at sea". Space.com. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  13. ↑ Etherington, Darrell (17 March 2021). "Pixxel closes $7.3M seed round and unveils commercial hyperspectral imaging product". TechCrunch. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  14. ↑ "Technology". www.pixxel.space. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
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