Indian space startup TakeMe2Space intends to launch what it calls the country’s first orbital computing satellite on a SpaceX rocket on October 1, aiming to process data directly in orbit instead of sending raw information back to Earth.
The firm’s MOI-1A spacecraft, a satellite weighing under 50 kg and equipped with Nvidia Orin NX edge-computing processors, is slated to ride aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-18 rideshare mission.
TakeMe2Space announced on Monday that it has secured 23 customers for the mission, including geographic information system firms and educational institutions.
Founder and CEO Ronak Samantray told Reuters that its commercial clientele includes companies in agriculture, mining, supply-chain management, and insurance.
One of its customers is Little Place Labs, a US-based space data analytics company.
According to Samantray, customers will be able to upload containerised AI models directly to the satellite, allowing it to process data as it passes over a designated region and send only the resulting analysis back to Earth, instead of the entire raw dataset.
"The customers who benefit most from our first-generation satellites are those currently paying to download large volumes of raw data and then performing the computation themselves," Samantray said.
"The savings from not having to download all that data balance out the higher price they pay for performing computation in orbit."
According to Samantray, the spacecraft functions as an onboard edge-computing satellite rather than a traditional data center, operating on roughly 150 watts of power.
By comparison, firms such as SpaceX and Starcloud intend to deploy more sophisticated Nvidia processors similar to those used in ground-based data centers.
TakeMe2Space’s longer-term strategy is to develop larger, interconnected satellites designed to support multiple clients.
The startup's earlier technology-demonstration mission in late 2024 validated its ability to upload applications, perform AI inference in orbit and download results. A subsequent satellite, MOI-1, was lost after a launch-vehicle third-stage failure.
TakeMe2Space also aims to offer cold storage in orbit for critical data, targeting financial-services and defence customers seeking an additional backup location beyond terrestrial cloud providers.
The company stated that it develops and produces most satellite subsystems domestically in India, while obtaining chips, solar cells, and propulsion systems from external suppliers.
It intends to begin deploying larger satellites from 2027 onward, aiming to boost computing capacity and lower overall costs.