Pixxel launches satellite manufacturing facility in Bengaluru

Pixxel opened its first spacecraft manufacturing facility in Bengaluru on Monday as the spacetech startup prepares to launch six satellites this year and 18 more by 2025.

The new facility, which the company calls MegaPixxel, spans over 30,000 square feet in area and combines all satellite manufacturing services to provide spacecraft assembly, integration, and testing (AIT) under one roof.

The Blume Ventures-backed startup is working on sending a constellation of high-resolution hyperspectral earth imaging satellites and building analytical tools to mine insights from the data obtained.

“By increasing our capacity to build more satellites, we will deliver even more critical data to our customers faster so they can make informed decisions and address the needs of key industries such as agriculture, energy, forestry, and environmental monitoring,” Pixxel CEO Awais Ahmed said in a press statement.

According to the company, the facility, when running at its full capacity, is equipped to handle more than 20 satellites simultaneously that can be turned around within a timeframe of 6 months, making a total capacity for 40 large satellites possible annually.

The space includes two clean rooms with ISO Class 7 and ISO Class 8 classifications to protect against contaminants that could impair satellite functionality during the assembly and integration process.

Founded in 2019, the company has launched three satellites, including 'Shakuntala' and 'Anand'. Shakuntala was Pixxel's first hyperspectral imaging satellite launched in April 2022 aboard a SpaceX mission.

The Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Chairman S. Somanath, who inaugurated the facility, said that it was a significant thing for the Pixxel team to have sustained without losing momentum and to have a plan for the long term.

The company had raised $36 million in a series B funding round in June last year. It has so far raised a total of $71 million in funding, and its list of investors includes Google, Lightspeed and Radical Ventures. 2023 was a record year for the Indian spacetech sector, with the sector attracting nearly $120 million in funding till October, as reported by YourStory's The CapTable.