Under 100 Words: A Compact Summary
Pixxel, supported by Google, is set to launch the first six of its 18-satellite project by June 2024. The Earth-imaging Fireflies constellation, with a ten-year lifespan, will be launched using PSLV or SpaceX. With a substantial $71 million in funding, Pixxel’s Mega Pixxel facility in Bengaluru is India’s largest satellite manufacturing facility, pioneering in the space sector (Pixxel to Deploy Six Satellites in June).
- Pixxel, backed by Google in the space sector, is initiating one of India’s largest satellite projects outside ISRO.
- They aim to launch the first six of 18 satellites by June 2024. The initial set may launch via PSLV or SpaceX. This milestone follows Google’s involvement in a $36 million funding round for the Indian satellite image startup about a year ago.
- Notably, this marked one of the earliest significant foreign investments in India after the introduction of privatization policies (Pixxel to Deploy Six Satellites in June).
- With approximately $71 million in total funding, Pixxel stands as one of India’s most well-funded space startups.
- “We intend to launch six Fireflies constellation satellites in June, followed by an additional 12 in 2025. We plan to establish a constellation comprising 18-24 Earth-imaging satellites,” stated Awais Ahmed, co-founder and CEO of Pixxel, a Bangalore-based space technology startup.
- The Fireflies satellites are designed for a ten-year lifespan and boast high-resolution imaging capabilities (Pixxel to Deploy Six Satellites in June).
- Regarding the launch, Pixxel is considering using India’s reliable PSLV or a SpaceX launch vehicle. The company has experience with both platforms from previous satellite launches. Ahmed mentioned, “We are exploring both options, SpaceX and PSLV, and it might be a combination based on our schedule and their plans.”
- In January of this year, Pixxel inaugurated its inaugural spacecraft manufacturing facility in Bengaluru, named Mega Pixxel.
- This facility can assemble, integrate, and test 40 satellites, each weighing over 100 kg, annually (Pixxel to Deploy Six Satellites in June).
- Following the launch of 18 Fireflies satellites, the company’s strategy includes developing an additional six heavier satellites known as Honeybees, thereby completing the constellation with a total of 24 satellites.
- Awais Ahmed, CEO of Pixxel, highlighted that their facility is currently the largest satellite manufacturing facility in the country and represents a pioneering initiative for a startup in the space sector (Pixxel to Deploy Six Satellites in June). He emphasized that it is one of the most significant projects of its kind outside ISRO in India.
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