Indian Space Startup Pixxel Secures NASA Contract to Enhance Earth Science Research

Indian Space Startup Pixxel Secures NASA Contract to Enhance Earth Science Research

Indian space startup Pixxel has won a contract from NASA to help Earth science research with its advanced hyperspectral technology. Bengaluru-based Pixxel has thus become part of NASA’s $476-million commercial smallsat data acquisition program-the first-ever for an Indian startup since India opened up its space sector to private companies in 2020.

Pixxel’s Co-founder and CEO Awais Ahmed described the contract as a “monumental achievement.” He further emphasized that the endorsement not only confirms the leading role hyperspectral imaging will have to play in future space-based Earth observation but places Pixxel at the center of creating a complete health monitor for Earth. The contract continues up to November 2028, and includes the delivery of hyperspectral Earth observation data to NASA and its U.S. government and academic partners to augment NASA’s Earth science research and application efforts.

Pixxel’s hyperspectral technology leads the charge in its class in gathering data in hundreds of narrow wavelengths for detailed climate change, agriculture, biodiversity, and resource management. The startup is launching six state-of-the-art satellites called Fireflies with 5-meter resolution hyperspectral capabilities. The satellites will be the highest-resolution hyperspectral satellites ever deployed with the ability to capture data across more than 250 spectral bands, a 40 km swath width, and a revisit frequency globally of less than 24 hours.

Building on this momentum, Pixxel plans to increase its constellation to 24 satellites, making hyperspectral data more commercially available and accessible for an increasing array of stakeholders such as industries and governments. This increase in capacity will focus on high-resolution hyperspectral imaging at up to 50 times richer detail for various global phenomena-from agriculture, oil and gas, mining, and environmental monitoring.

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Moreover, Pixxel recently introduced Aurora, its in-house Earth Observation Studio, to easily analyze satellite imagery. Besides this, it raised over $70 million from investors such as Google, Lightspeed, Radical Ventures, Seraphim Capital, and Blume Ventures. This financing represents one of the increasing recognitions and beliefs in Pixxel’s approach toward the Earth Observation space.