New Delhi, do you want a satellite image of your backyard? It may soon be possible as Bengaluru-based space company Pixxel plans to introduce an online software package to explore Earth images captured by its satellites and also request customized images.
In an interaction with editors here, Pixxel Space CEO and co-founder Awais Ahmed said the startup's 'Aurora' Earth observation study was part of efforts to make space data accessible to the average person for a small fee. .
Pixxel's Earth observation studio is expected to go live later this year and make hyperspectral images of Earth taken by its satellites and data analysis accessible to everyone.
"It would be as simple as using Google Earth, but photographs and satellite images would be much more advanced," said Ahmed, the 26-year-old CEO, who is among a handful of entrepreneurs making a mark in the space sector. , which was opened to private players about four years ago, he said.
Aurora suite users can browse satellite images already available in the database or place a “task order” for Pixxel satellites orbiting the Earth in lower Earth orbit.
"I want to order an image for Chikmagalur, say, in the next week or two weeks, then it will go to our satellites and they will deliver it, as long as you can afford it," Ahmed, who built the first satellite while still completing his master's degree in mathematics at BITS Pilani, he said.
Pixxel has launched two satellites, Shakuntala and Anand, which capture images of the Earth at more than 200 wavelengths and detect minute changes taking place on the planet.
"Starting in October or November this year, anyone will be able to create an online account on our website, Pixel.Space/Aurora, to access images of Earth taken by our satellites," Ahmed said.
The two satellites, Shakuntala and Anand, launched respectively by Elon Musk's SpaceX and ISRO's PSLV, were pioneering spacecraft that demonstrated the company's capabilities in delivering high-quality hyperspectral imaging.
Pixxel plans to launch six satellites, Fireflies, later this year, the company's first set of commercial spacecraft that will deliver images of Earth to its clients, which range from India's Ministry of Agriculture to the National Reconnaissance Organization. of the United States.
The startup also plans to launch 18 more satellites next year, including a slightly heavier Honeybee spacecraft that will carry a visible and shortwave infrared camera to increase the satellite's wavelength range.
"The sensors on these satellites are equipped to provide hyperspectral imaging of more than 250 bands in the range of 470-2500 nm at a ground sampling distance of five meters," the company said.
Ahmed said conventional satellites can capture images in the visible and infrared range.
"Hyperspectral takes all this light coming in in the visible and infrared range and breaks it down into very tiny, continuous lengths," he said.
"If, for example, I'm looking at a plant with a normal camera, I can tell that it's a plant and there's a leaf there. But if a hyperspectral camera captures that, it's split it into so many different wavelengths that now we can see if there are signs of pest infestation there, or whether irrigation is sufficient, etc.," Ahmed said.
"So in a basic sense, we are going from three wavelengths of the human eye to about 300 wavelengths in hyperspectral, allowing us to see well beyond human sight," Ahmed said.
In an interaction with editors here, Pixxel Space CEO and co-founder Awais Ahmed said the startup's 'Aurora' Earth observation study was part of efforts to make space data accessible to the average person for a small fee. .
Pixxel's Earth observation studio is expected to go live later this year and make hyperspectral images of Earth taken by its satellites and data analysis accessible to everyone.
"It would be as simple as using Google Earth, but photographs and satellite images would be much more advanced," said Ahmed, the 26-year-old CEO, who is among a handful of entrepreneurs making a mark in the space sector. , which was opened to private players about four years ago, he said.
Aurora suite users can browse satellite images already available in the database or place a “task order” for Pixxel satellites orbiting the Earth in lower Earth orbit.
"I want to order an image for Chikmagalur, say, in the next week or two weeks, then it will go to our satellites and they will deliver it, as long as you can afford it," Ahmed, who built the first satellite while still completing his master's degree in mathematics at BITS Pilani, he said.
Pixxel has launched two satellites, Shakuntala and Anand, which capture images of the Earth at more than 200 wavelengths and detect minute changes taking place on the planet.
"Starting in October or November this year, anyone will be able to create an online account on our website, Pixel.Space/Aurora, to access images of Earth taken by our satellites," Ahmed said.
The two satellites, Shakuntala and Anand, launched respectively by Elon Musk's SpaceX and ISRO's PSLV, were pioneering spacecraft that demonstrated the company's capabilities in delivering high-quality hyperspectral imaging.
Pixxel plans to launch six satellites, Fireflies, later this year, the company's first set of commercial spacecraft that will deliver images of Earth to its clients, which range from India's Ministry of Agriculture to the National Reconnaissance Organization. of the United States.
The startup also plans to launch 18 more satellites next year, including a slightly heavier Honeybee spacecraft that will carry a visible and shortwave infrared camera to increase the satellite's wavelength range.
"The sensors on these satellites are equipped to provide hyperspectral imaging of more than 250 bands in the range of 470-2500 nm at a ground sampling distance of five meters," the company said.
Ahmed said conventional satellites can capture images in the visible and infrared range.
"Hyperspectral takes all this light coming in in the visible and infrared range and breaks it down into very tiny, continuous lengths," he said.
"If, for example, I'm looking at a plant with a normal camera, I can tell that it's a plant and there's a leaf there. But if a hyperspectral camera captures that, it's split it into so many different wavelengths that now we can see if there are signs of pest infestation there, or whether irrigation is sufficient, etc.," Ahmed said.
"So in a basic sense, we are going from three wavelengths of the human eye to about 300 wavelengths in hyperspectral, allowing us to see well beyond human sight," Ahmed said.
