Indian aerospace startup Pixxel has launched its first fully-fledged satellite featuring one of the highest resolution hyperspectral commercial cameras. Named Shakuntala or Pixxel TD-2, the satellite was launched aboard SpaceX Falcon 9’s Transporter-4 mission from Cape Canaveral.
Pixxel’s Shakuntala/ TD-2 satellite weighs less than 15 kgs. According to Pixxel, TD-2 is capable of capturing orbital images in more than 150 bands of color from the visible and infrared spectrum with a resolution of 10-meters per pixel. Notably, this exceeds the 30-meter per pixel resolution of hyperspectral satellites launched by NASA, ESA, and ISRO.
Looking ahead, Pixxel plans to launch its first commercial phase satellites in early 2023 and start the commercial sale of its data. Thanks to six satellites flown in a sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) around a 550 km altitude, Pixxel’s hyperspectral constellation will cover any point on the globe every 48 hours.
