India's TakeMe2Space to launch orbital computing satellite on SpaceX rocket

Indian space startup TakeMe2Space is set to launch its first orbital computing satellite, MOI-1A, aboard a SpaceX rocket on October 1. The sub-50 kg satellite, equipped with Nvidia Orin NX edge-computing processors, will process data in orbit and transmit the analysis back to Earth, rather than transmitting raw information. The startup has secured 23 customers, including geographic information system companies, educational institutions, and commercial users in sectors like agriculture, mining, supply-chain management, and insurance.

Customers will be able to upload containerized AI models to the satellite, which will process data as it passes over a specified area. The reduction in data download costs offsets the premium paid for in-orbit computing. TakeMe2Space plans to build larger, networked satellites in the future, targeting financial-services and defence customers for cold storage in orbit.