Pixxel

Pixxel, based in India, is a space technology company specializing in hyperspectral earth imaging.

Pixxel’s key offering is its constellation of hyperspectral satellites and its AI-powered platform, Aurora, which offers easy access to imagery and analytics derived from its satellites.

Pixxel’s satellites provide high-resolution images across hundreds of wavelengths and find applications in the agriculture, energy, environment, government, and mining sectors. By capturing data across hundreds of wavelengths, its technology helps detect early signs of disease, pest infestations, and nutrient deficiencies, enabling farmers to make informed decisions and optimize resource use.

Pixxel's energy solutions use hyperspectral satellite imagery to enhance the surveying and extraction processes in the energy sector, including detection of chemical seepages, oil slicks, and hydrocarbons, while Pixxel's environmental solutions help map and monitor forest cover, measure climate risks like flooding and wildfires, track natural resource utilization, detect hazardous materials, and manage water resources.

Pixxel's government solutions offer precise geospatial data for improved decision-making. Its hyperspectral satellites can monitor inland waterway health and assess rail-road conditions at various scales, support progress tracking for construction projects, site feasibility analysis, and rapid response during natural calamities. Pixxel's mining solutions enhance exploration and monitoring by mapping extensive areas, providing mineralogical data for remote locations, offering recent ground-truth imagery, and aiding in mapping sand dunes for ore deposits.

Aurora is Pixxel's geospatial platform that uses AI and machine learning algorithms for real-time insights and multi-dimensional visualization of the data collected through its satellites. Users can explore environmental data across various parameters such as vegetation health, water quality, and urban development. In August 2024, Pixxel launched Aurora to support remote-sensing user groups in accessing and interpreting EO data across multiple applications for different industries. Aurora will receive future improvements that will enhance its capabilities by enabling data fusion across expansive Areas of Interest (AOIs). Data fusion will allow users to combine hyperspectral data with other EO datasets and upload ground truth data for a more comprehensive analysis.

Pixxel opened its first spacecraft manufacturing facility in Bengaluru, India, named MegaPixxel, in January 2024, which is 30,000 square feet with a manufacturing capacity of 40 large satellites per year.

Pixxel has launched three satellites to date and had plans to launch six more in 2024 and an additional 18 by 2025.

Key customers and partnerships

Noteworthy customers include the US National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), Indian Air Force, Sanborn, European Space Imaging (EUSI), Geocento, SkyFi, and Rio Tinto.

A key partner of Pixxel is Leaf Space, which supplied the ground segment support for Pixxel’s satellite launch (October 2019). Pixxel also collaborated with SpaceX to launch its satellite into orbit in April 2022. Other partners include Enabled Intelligence and Momentus.