SpaceTech Startup Pixxel To Launch Remote Sensing Satellite In 2021

• Space tech startup Pixxel has signed a pact with ISRO, which will help to launch its first satellite in PSLV Rocket in early 2021.
• Pixxel is a Bengaluru-based startup building a constellation of earth-imaging small satellites to provide an entirely new kind of dataset.
• Till date, it has raised over $5.7 million in a total of three funding rounds.

Bengaluru-based space technology startup Pixxel is all set to launch its first remote-sensing satellite on an Indian rocket, shifting from an earlier plan to use a Russian rocket.

The startup has signed a pact with ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization), which will further help to launch its first satellite in ISRO's PSLV rocket in early 2021.

Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), which was developed by ISRO in 1993, is now on take to launch Pixxel's earth imaging satellite early next year.

Pixxel had earlier planned to launch its first earth imaging satellite towards the end of this year on a Russian Soyuz Rocket.

In late September 2020, It had partnered with US-based in-space satellite transportation and infrastructure company Momentum Inc to launch its second satellite next year.

Founded in February 2019 by Birla Institute graduates Awais Ahmed and Kshitij Khandelwal. Bengaluru-based Pixxel is building a constellation of earth-imaging small satellites that will provide global coverage every 24 hours.

These satellites will collect high-throughput information-rich data that will be analyzed using AI and machine learning models.

The startup aims to make and launch a constellation of 30 new satellites between December 2022 to June 2023, said reports.

In August 2020, it had raised $5 million (or about Rs 37 crore) in a Seed round led by Blume Ventures, growX Ventures, and Lightspeed India. growX Ventures has been an early investor in Pixxel.

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"The Department of Space is happy to have one of India’s leading private space startups, Pixxel, onboard this mission. We realize the potential that Pixxel’s Earth-imaging satellites have to solve some pressing issues of our time and we are looking forward to a positive outcome from this launch," said Kailasavadivoo Sivan, Chairman, ISRO.

"With the establishment of IN-SPACe, we will also be partnering with other private players that can help India achieve more milestones in the future," he added.

Commenting on the development, Awais Ahmed, CEO, Pixxel, said, "We are very excited to initiate this ambitious journey in association with NSIL/ISRO. We are elated with the fact that India’s first commercial private satellite will now launch on an Indian rocket."

"Many thanks to the Indian government for opening up access to our country’s space infrastructure to the private sector," he added.

"The Department of Space (DoS) was very keen on us launching from here and it also made more logistical sense for us. The deal was recently closed and we will be launching in early 2021 from a PSLV Rocket, which is very reliable," he said.

ISRO's deal with Pixxel is the second such private partnership after the creation of IN-SPACe, an independent space agency ensuring private participation in Indian space activities.

The first deal was signed earlier this week with Chennai-based space tech Agnikul, which is building a launch vehicle that will be able to hurl 100 kg satellites into low earth orbit.

According to Statista, The global space industry stands at around $360 billion in which the Indian space industry is valued at $7 billion, around 2% of the global market.

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