Pixxel’s Commercial Satellite Constellation To Be Launched Early Next Year

Spacetech startup Pixxel has announced the launch of its commercial satellite constellation. Called Fireflies, the constellation of six hyperspectral satellites is slated for launch early next year. 

In a statement, the startup said that the satellite constellation will boast more than 150 spectral bands, a native five-metre resolution and a 40-kilometre wide swath (sensors covering a distance of 40 km) that will enable Pixxel to “access any part of the globe on a daily basis” and offer “unparalleled imaging capabilities”.

Previously, Inc42 reported that the startup plans to increase the number of satellites in the Fireflies constellation to 24 by 2025. Each of these satellites is expected to weigh around 50 kg, significantly higher than the 15 kg weight of its demo satellites, Shakuntala and Anand, launched in 2022. 

The Bengaluru-based startup said that the data from Fireflies constellation will have use cases in various applications, including early detection of crop diseases, pinpointing water stress, tracking deforestation in real-time and monitoring ocean pollution. 

“This constellation marks a major milestone in Pixxel’s mission to make detailed and actionable insights about the planet accessible to all… Fireflies is built to capture the world in ways we’ve never seen before, giving us the clarity and detail needed to make impactful decisions for a better future,” Pixxel’s cofounder and CEO Awais Ahmed said.

Founded in 2018 by Awais Ahmed and Kshitij Khandelwal, Pixxel is building a constellation of hyperspectral earth satellites to offer imaging services to clients in sectors such as agriculture, mining, and environment, among others.

Backed by the likes of Google, Radical Ventures, Accenture, Lightspeed, Blume Ventures and growX, Pixxel has raised more than $71 Mn in funding to date. 

This comes a couple of months after the Bengaluru-based spacetech startup bagged a new contract from NASA to offer hyperspectral Earth observation data to the space agency and the US government.

Earlier this year, the company signed a deal with the Indian Ministry of Defence under the Innovations for Defense Excellence (iDEX) scheme to manufacture miniaturised multi-payload satellites for the Indian Air Force.

As per Inc42 data, India is home to more than 150 spacetech startups that raised over $285 Mn between 2014 and 2023. The company operates in the burgeoning Indian spacetech space, which is projected to become a $77 Bn market by 2030.