Google-backed spacetech startup Pixxel is set for the launch of the first three hyperspectral imaging satellites of its Firefly constellation aboard a SpaceX rocket from California on Wednesday at midnight India time.

The launch will be keenly watched in India as besides Pixxel, two more startups – and XDLINX – will also be reportedly launching their satellites aboard the same rocket.

The launch of Pixxel’s satellites is an important milestone for the country’s , as this will be the launch of India’s first private satellite constellation.

The satellites are aimed to be placed at roughly 550 km, orbiting in a sun-synchronous orbit. As per the definition of the European Space Agency, sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) is a kind of polar orbit in which satellites are in sync with the Sun.

In an in July 2023, Pixxel’s founder and CEO Awais Ahmed had said that Firefly is a 24-satellite constellation, of which, the first six would be launched in 2024. However, due to various reasons, the launch was delayed.

To dig deeper into the path to the launch of the first three satellites happening tonight—challenges, significance, market opportunity, and more—we spoke to Ahmed and Pixxel cofounder and CTO Kshitij Khandelwal.

However, what intrigued us the most is that the Indian spacetech startup chose SpaceX over ISRO. What could be the reason?

Here are the edited excerpts…

Inc42: What is the significance of launching in a sun-synchronous orbit at a 550 km altitude?

Awais Ahmed: Satellites in the sun-synchronous orbit are synchronised with the Sun. In most cases, we hear about geostationary satellites, which are stationary with the Earth. These are mainly communication satellites. If we launch a geo satellite just over India, it’s always over India. It doesn’t change its location with respect to the Earth.

This also means that if I’m taking an image of Bengaluru today at 11 AM, the next time that I will take an image of Bengaluru will also be exactly at 11 AM. Similarly, if I’m taking an image of London, then that’s also going to be around 11 AM.

So, as the satellite continues to move, its motion is synchronised with the Sun regardless of where it is taking an image. This allows the images to be always uniform, given that lighting conditions remain the same.

However, there is no particular significance of launching the satellite at 550 km altitude.

Inc42: What is the reason behind choosing SpaceX over ISRO for the launch? Also, what are the perks and challenges of working with SpaceX?

Awais Ahmed: The reason for choosing SpaceX was more from a timing point of view. Since our satellites were ready, we wanted to launch them without any delay.

As mentioned, our satellites have to be at around 550 km altitude because that’s where it is designed for. It needs to be in a sun-synchronous orbit.

However, ISRO has not had a launch that fits these parameters in the last year and nothing is on the cards for the next three quarters.

SpaceX was just a convenient choice because our satellites were ready and we didn’t want to wait too long to launch them, which could have also hindered our revenue generation.

So, the main reason was that SpaceX provided a faster launch window and was also slightly cheaper.

Inc42: Isn’t it costlier to launch with SpaceX given that your satellites are manufactured in India?

Awais Ahmed: Transportation costs make for a tiny fraction of the total programme cost and do not have any significant impact on the budget.

Waiting for three quarters and delaying revenue generation would have cost us way more than shipping it to the US.

Inc42: How much are you spending on the launch of the first three satellites of the Firefly constellation?

Awais Ahmed: SpaceX charges about $6,500 per kg rideshare for payload. Now, each of our satellites weighs around 60 kg, making it a total payload of 180 kg. This cost involves everything from loading the satellite on the rocket to putting them in orbit.

Inc42: When we spoke in 2023, you were planning to launch these satellites in 2024. What’s the reason behind the delay in the launch?

Awais Ahmed: It’s usually hard to build things that go to space, and we can’t repair things once they are launched. Therefore, we decided to take a few additional months to test the software and hardware, keeping in mind all the contingencies that might come up.

So, yes, initially, we were supposed to launch it around June or July of 2024, which then got shifted to around November 2024. Then, SpaceX’s launch got delayed by a couple of months. That’s why the launch is happening now in January.

Inc42: You are planning to launch three more Firefly satellites in the next two to three months. Are you expecting any hurdles? Also, could there be any deviation from the plan on January 15?

Kshitij Khandelwal: Obviously, things can go wrong at any time, but generally, we are quite prepared to handle all of them. There are a whole bunch of things that have contingency procedures when it comes to the launch.

We have three satellites in the office today, three are on the rocket. The idea is that once the first launch happens, we will be shipping the other three satellites to the launch site.

Then the other hurdle is fuelling the satellites and making sure all the pre-launch checks are done properly. There’s a lens cap on the satellite, we have to remove that as well. Then, after the launch, we need to ensure that we are connected to the satellite to get our images.

We have been working on these missions for more than two years now. So, there’s a lot of work that has already gone in.

There are a bunch of tests that we have been doing for the last few months. We carried out tests at the launch site. Sometimes it depends on the weather if the launch window is met or not. But based on the current forecast, it’s quite optimistic at the launch site, so it does not look like we’ll have any deviations.

Inc42: How significant is the launch for the Indian spacetech ecosystem?

Kshitij Khandelwal: There are a lot of signs that point to the fact that in the last three to four years, the Indian space ecosystem, especially the private sector in it, has seen very different colours.

The Indian government has been openly supportive of private companies and the successful launch is emblematic of the effort that has gone into the project in the last two to three years.

For us, it’s the start of a lot of things as a company. Being a company that employs roughly 200 people, it is definitely a moment of pride.

We are quite sure the industry needs such success stories to grow further so that more funding can make its way into the ecosystem, coupled with a more confident government about its spacetech prowess.

Inc42: How significant is the launch for the global market, given that Pixxel has competitors outside India, too?

Awais Ahmed: It is India’s first commercial constellation and also the world’s highest-resolution hyperspectral constellation. So, we are launching the world’s first truly hyperspectral satellite constellation.

While there are competitors, what separates us is our ability to provide a 5-metre resolution. That is why it is a great moment globally as well when we compete based on the quality of our hyperspectral data.

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