TakeMe2Space schedules orbital computing satellite launch

TakeMe2Space says its MOI1A satellite is scheduled to launch on SpaceX’s Transporter-18 rideshare mission on October 1, carrying computing equipment intended to process data in orbit. The launch has not yet occurred, and the spacecraft’s operational performance remains unverified. The Hyderabad-based startup says 23 customers have signed up for the mission. It describes prospective users as including geographic information system companies and educational institutions, as well as organizations in agriculture, mining, supply-chain management and insurance. Little Place Labs, a U.S.-based space data analytics firm, is among the customers, according to the company’s reported account. TakeMe2Space says customers will be able to upload artificial intelligence models to MOI1A. The satellite would process data as it passes over a specified area and send back analysis, rather than transmitting the full raw dataset to Earth for processing. Founder and CEO Ronak Samantray has said the approach could benefit customers that otherwise pay to download large amounts of data and compute results on the ground.