Pixxel to develop miniaturised multi-payload satellites for IAF

Bengaluru: Space data company and spacecraft manufacturer Pixxel signed an iDEX (innovations for Defence Excellence) contract with the Ministry of Defence to develop miniaturised multi-payload satellites for the Indian Air Force, in New Delhi on Tuesday.

The Bengaluru-based company said the contract, the 350th under iDEX, will initiate its efforts to develop small satellites of up to 150 kg for Electro-Optical, Infrared, Synthetic Aperture Radar, and Hyperspectral purposes. It is set to enable innovation in space electronics, allowing for faster and more economical deployment, scalability, and less environmental impact, Pixxel said.

Contract signed

The contract was signed between Awais Ahmed, CEO of Pixxel, and Anurag Bajpai, Additional Secretary (Defence Production) and CEO of iDEX-Defence Innovation Organisation.

It was awarded as the first-ever iDEX Prime (Space) Satellite Grant, under the Mission DefSpace Challenge.

Ahmed said the signing of the contract validated Pixxel’s efforts toward advancing space technology in the country and the government’s confidence in its capabilities.

Pixxel is set to launch six commercial-grade hyperspectral satellites, called Fireflies, this year.

Its constellation of hyperspectral imaging satellites is designed to detect, monitor, and predict important global phenomena across agriculture, oil and gas, mining, environment, and other sectors in up to 50x richer detail.