Indian startup TakeMe2Space to debut orbital AI satellite on SpaceX ride

TakeMe2Space, an Indian space startup, announced that its MOI-1A spacecraft will fly on SpaceX's Transporter-18 rideshare launch scheduled for October 1, marking the country's first orbital computing satellite. Weighing under 50 kg and powered by Nvidia Orin NX edge-computing chips, the satellite will allow customers to upload containerised AI models that run in orbit, sending back only processed insights. The company has signed 23 clients, including GIS companies, agricultural firms, mining outfits, supply-chain managers, insurers, and the US data-analytics firm Little Place Labs.

Founder and CEO Ronak Samantray said the service cuts costs by avoiding large raw-data downloads, despite a premium for in-orbit compute. TakeMe2Space designs most subsystems in India and plans larger, multi-customer satellites beginning in 2027, with future offerings such as cold-storage for critical data targeting finance and defence sectors.