Pixxel has partnered with Sarvam to build a satellite that will work like a data center in space. They plan to launch it by the end of 2026.
The satellite, called Pathfinder, will be fully handled by Pixxel—it will design, build, launch, and operate it. Sarvam will provide the AI technology, which will help process and analyze data directly in space instead of sending it back to Earth.
Before this, Pixxel plans to open a new manufacturing facility called Gigapixxel, which can produce up to 100 satellites. The Pathfinder satellite will also be developed at this facility.
“Ground-based data centres are facing increasing constraints around energy, land, regulation, and scale, and the current model is becoming harder to sustain environmentally. Orbital data centres open up a new frontier, where compute can be powered by abundant solar energy, operate closer to space-based data, and move beyond some of the limits faced on Earth,” Pixxel cofounder and CEO Awais Ahmed said.
Pixxel will build a 200-kg satellite called Pathfinder, while Sarvam will manage its AI system to process data directly in space.
Unlike most satellites that use low-power processors, Pathfinder will use powerful GPU chips similar to those used in data centres. It will also carry Pixxel’s hyperspectral camera, which can capture very detailed images of Earth. Sarvam’s AI will analyze this data directly on the satellite.
The AI system will run completely in space, meaning all data processing will happen in orbit instead of sending information back to Earth. This keeps the whole system within India.
With AI working in space, the satellite will be able to quickly find patterns, track changes, and give results in real time. This is much faster than traditional satellites, which first send raw data to Earth and then wait for analysis.
This technology can be useful for monitoring the environment, managing natural resources, and tracking important infrastructure like roads, forests, and water systems.
“Having India-built models running in orbit aboard an India-built satellite is exactly the kind of foundational capability that the country needs to control its own intelligence infrastructure,” Sarvam cofounder and CEO Pratyush Kumar said.
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