Spacetech startup Pixxel’s new launch- a hyperspectral satellite that will allow earth imaging will come of great help as it can be used to map forest fires, identify soil stress and oil slicks, and detect an infestation, among many other things
Spacetech startup Pixxel’s new launch- a hyperspectral satellite that will allow earth imaging will come of great help as it can be used to map forest fires, identify soil stress and oil slicks, and detect an infestation, among many other things.
Anand- Pixxel’s third hyperspectral satellite will onboard ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle(PSLV) from the Sriharikota spaceport on Saturday.
‘Anand’ is a hyperspectral microsatellite, and it weighs less than 15 kg. It has more than 150 wavelengths which will allow it to capture high-detailed images of the earth from such a distance, which today’s non-hyperspectral satellites fail to capture as it has not more than 10 wavelengths.
A statement from Pixxel made on Sunday said, “The imagery from the satellite can be used to detect pest infestation, map forest fires, identify soil stress and oil slicks amongst other things.”
Awais Ahmed, Founder and CEO of Pixxel said on Twitter, “After more than 18 months of delay, many many retests, and more than two years of sweat and hard work by the team, we are finally launching this week.”
Pixxel became the first Indian company to launch a commercial satellite named ‘Shakuntala’ in April. The satellite was boarded on Elon Musk’s SpaceX’s Falcon- rocket.
Pixxel is founded by Ahmed and Kshitij Khandelwal.
The hyperspectral satellites by Pixxel can provide hundreds of bands of information with global coverage at very high frequencies. These features make Pixxel’s hyperspectral satellites ideal for disaster relief, energy monitoring, agricultural monitoring, and urban planning applications, the company stated.
Compared with conventional satellites in orbit, these satellites are capable of beaming down up to 50 times more information with unprecedented detail.
