TakeMe2Space Aims to Bring Compute Power to Orbit

Indian spacetech startup TakeMe2Space is working to revolutionize satellite data processing by developing a new generation of data centers in Earth's orbit. Founder Ronak Samantray believes there is a significant opportunity in moving computation closer to where data is generated, thereby reducing the need to transmit vast amounts of raw data back to Earth for analysis.

The company's approach focuses on transforming satellites into data processing units rather than just data collectors. This leverages the principles of edge computing, extending them into space. The goal is to decrease latency and bandwidth costs, particularly for the imagery data generated by satellites used in applications like agricultural monitoring and disaster management.

TakeMe2Space faced a major setback in January when a launch failure of ISRO's PSLV-C61 rocket destroyed the startup's satellite payload. This incident delayed the company's deployment schedules and customer engagements. A new launch attempt is scheduled for October.

Despite the technical and financial challenges of building orbital computing capabilities, Samantray argues that the economic case is strong. Instead of developing its own AI models, TakeMe2Space plans to provide the infrastructure layer for others to run their AI models in space. The startup aims to create a platform that enables computation at the source, while minimizing the data sent back to Earth.