Pixxel has signed a second Agreement with the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), Ministry of Defence, Government of India. This new SPARK (Support for Prototype and Research Kickstart) Grant, awarded to SpacePixxel Pvt Ltd under iDEX DISC 8 Challenge 6.2, supports the development of advanced hyperspectral and MWIR (Mid-Wave Infrared) payloads, tailored for the Indian Air Force.
The grant further strengthens Pixxel’s collaboration with the Indian ecosystem, following its selection under the Mission DefSpace Challenge of iDEX Prime (Space) in 2023 to manufacture miniaturized, multi-payload satellites.
With this new milestone, Pixxel will leverage its cutting-edge optical engineering and in-house satellite manufacturing capabilities to design and build next-generation Earth Observation (EO) payloads with security-grade performance. The high-resolution hyperspectral and MWIR payloads will enhance India’s airborne and space-based imaging capabilities across various operational and strategic applications.
The grant through the iDEX scheme is designed to accelerate the development of next-generation prototypes and technologies by Indian startups and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), fostering a self-reliant and innovation-driven landscape in the country. Pixxel’s continued participation underscores its commitment to supporting strategic goals and reflects the government’s growing confidence in its technology stack.
With three Firefly satellites already on-orbit and more to launch soon, Pixxel has demonstrated its ability to build scalable, affordable, and versatile space solutions from the ground up. This is further enabled by Pixxel Aurora, the company’s Earth Observation Studio, which makes hyperspectral imagery accessible and usable through intuitive visualization, analysis, and insight generation tools. As the company expands its capabilities, it remains focused on building a real-time, high-fidelity health monitor for the planet.
iDEX was established by the DIO under Department of Defence Production and has launched 11 editions of the Defence India Start-up Challenge (DISC) and recently unveiled the Acing Development of Innovative Technologies with iDEX (ADITI) scheme to promote innovations in critical and strategic defence technologies.