Pixxel opens a new manufacturing facility in Bengaluru, India. Photo: Pixxel

Hyperspectral imagery startup Pixxel opened a new spacecraft manufacturing facility in Bengaluru, India, this week. The company said this new facility is a comprehensive assembly, integration, and testing (AIT) facility to allow the company to scale for large-scale satellite manufacturing. 

Pixxel said the 30,000 square foot facility is equipped to build more than 20 satellites simultaneously within a timeframe of six months, putting 40 satellites per year within reach. The space has two clean rooms of ISO Class 7 and ISO Class 8, along with labs for advanced camera integration, electronics R&D, and electrical assembly; along with a mechanical workshop, a mission control room, and an office space that can accommodate more than 200 employees. 

This new facility “will bolster our mission to build a health monitor for the planet,” said Pixxel CEO Awais Ahmed. “By increasing our capacity to build more satellites, we will deliver even more critical data to our customers faster so they can make informed decisions and address the needs of key industries such as agriculture, energy, forestry, and environmental monitoring.”

Pixxel has launched three pathfinder hyperspectral satellites and plans for a constellation of 24 satellites total. Last year the company raised $36 million in a Series B funding round with Google as an investor.