Pixxel to launch 'Anand' satellite aboard ISRO's PSLV on November 26

Pixxel, a Bengaluru-based space technology startup, is set to launch its third hyperspectral satellite, Anand, into space on November 26 using the Indian Space Research Organisation's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).

Earlier this year, the company became the first Indian company to launch a commercial satellite into space when it used SpaceX to launch its satellite Shakuntala.

Anand is a hyperspectral micro-satellite that weighs less than 15 kg and supports 150+ wavelengths, according to the startup. This will allow it to observe Earth in much greater detail than non-hyperspectral satellites with less than 10 wavelengths, the company claimed.

The imagery from the satellite can be used to detect pest infestation, map forest fires, and identify soil stress and oil slicks amongst other things, the start-up said in a release.

Pixxel has signed partnerships with Rio Tinto and Data Farming, which will employ hyperspectral datasets for the identification of mineral resources and active monitoring for the detection of crop problems, respectively.

The imagery will provide the team with targeted inputs to improve the form factor and imaging capabilities of the next batch of commercial-grade satellites, the start-up said.

With this launch, Pixxel will move closer to its aim of building a 'health monitor' for the planet using a constellation of hyperspectral small satellites.

Pixxel, which was co-founded in 2019 by Awais Ahmed and Kshitij Khandelwal, recently announced that IT consulting firm Accenture has invested in the space-tech start-up.

The investment followed Pixxel's March 2022 announcement of a $25 million Series A funding round and the April 2022 launch of its first satellite as part of SpaceX's Transporter-4 payload.

Pixxel is backed by Lightspeed, Radical Ventures, Relativity's Jordan Noone, Seraphim Capital, Ryan Johnson, and Accenture, among others.