Pixxel and Sarvam Join Forces for Orbital Data Centre Satellite
US-Indian space company Pixxel has partnered with Bengaluru-based artificial intelligence firm Sarvam to build an orbital data centre satellite named Pathfinder. Pixxel will design, build, launch, and operate the satellite, while Sarvam will handle training and inference directly in orbit.
Details
The satellite will host data centre-class GPUs, the same generation of hardware as on-ground data centres that power AI training and inference. It will also carry Pixxel’s hyperspectral imaging camera, capable of capturing high-fidelity hyperspectral data and analysing it directly in orbit using foundation models. The processing will be done by Sarvam’s models and inference platform in orbit, without any dependence on foreign cloud or ground infrastructure.
Company Background
Pixxel, founded in 2019, is a US-Indian space company that designs, builds, launches, and operates satellites. Sarvam, based in Bengaluru, is an artificial intelligence firm that builds India’s full-stack AI platform from the ground up.
Market Context
This partnership signifies a shift towards edge computing in space, where data is processed closer to its source rather than being transmitted back to Earth. This approach is particularly valuable for Earth observation satellites, which generate vast volumes of data that can overwhelm downlink bandwidth and ground infrastructure. By filtering and analysing information in orbit, such systems can prioritise only the most relevant insights for transmission, improving efficiency while reducing latency and operational costs.
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Source: YourStory