Bengaluru-based space startup Pixxel has bagged a five-year contract for supplying technical hyperspectral imagery to United States' National Reconnaissance Organization (NRO). The Virginia-based NRO also awarded six study contracts for commercial hyperspectral imagery to five other companies -- BlackSky Technology, HyperSat, Orbital Sidekick, Planet, and Xplore. "The entire team here at Pixxel is excited to begin this journey with the NRO. We are fully committed to this fantastic opportunity to offer our imaging capabilities to the organisation, its partners, and the US geospatial intelligence community," Chief Executive Officer, Pixxel Space Technologies, Awais Ahmed, told PTI. He said Pixxel will provide technical hyperspectral imagery (HSI) remote sensing capabilities through modelling and simulation and data evaluation using its currently on-orbit pathfinder systems and future constellations. Ahmed said Pixxel will demonstrate its capabilities through end-to-end tasking, ...
Spacetech startup Pixxel is set to launch its third hyperspectral satellite Anand onboard ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) from the Sriharikota spaceport on Saturday. Anand is a hyperspectral microsatellite weighing less than 15 kg but having more than 150 wavelengths that will enable it to capture images of the earth in greater detail than today's non-hyperspectral satellites that have not more than 10 wavelengths. The imagery from the satellite can be used to detect pest infestation, map forest fires, identify soil stress and oil slicks amongst other things, a statement from Pixxel said on Monday. "After more than 18 months of delay, many many retests, and more than two years of sweat and hard work by the team, we are finally launching this week," Awais Ahmed, Founder and CEO of Pixxel said on Twitter. Founded by Ahmed and Kshitij Khandelwal, Pixxel became the first Indian company ever to launch a commercial satellite Shakuntala in April using Elon Musk's SpaceX'
Pixxel is building world's highest resolution hyperspectral imaging satellite constellation in order to offer AI-powered insights on climate issues at a fraction of the cost of traditional satellites
Pixxel said it has closed its $7.3 mn seed round with new capital from Omnivore, Techstars joining Lightspeed Ventures, Blume Ventures, growX and Ryan Johnson, ex-President at Planet Labs.