TakeMe2Space, a Hyderabad-based space-tech startup, is aiming to create space extra accessible by launching India’s first AI-driven house laboratory. Based by Ronak Kumar Samantray, the corporate is working to alter the best way folks work together with satellites.
In contrast to conventional fashions the place satellite tv for pc entry is restricted to governments, defence companies, or elite analysis establishments, TakeMe2Space desires to democratise house, providing real-time entry to satellites for college kids, researchers, and companies alike.
“Our aim is to make sure that everyone’s concepts could be taken to house,” Samantray instructed AIM in an unique interview. “You don’t need to be in NASA, ISRO, or an IIT to run an experiment in house. Sitting in Kerala, Delhi, and even Antarctica, you need to be capable to function a satellite tv for pc.”
The corporate lately carried out a know-how demonstration mission with ISRO, proving the viability of its method. Now, the subsequent step is launching two totally operational satellites this 12 months, with a long-term ambition to construct the way forward for computing in orbit.
Samantray (second from the left), together with former chairman of ISRO, S. Somanath
As of final 12 months, the Indian house financial system was valued at roughly $8.4 billion, constituting a 2% share of the worldwide house market. The nation at present operates 56 lively house property, together with 19 communication satellites, 9 navigation satellites, 4 scientific satellites, and 24 earth statement satellites, as per the financial survey 2024-25.
With the federal government aiming to scale the house financial system to £44 billion by 2033, inclusive of £11 billion in exports, which might signify 7-8% of the worldwide share, TakeMe2Space believes that accessing house ought to be so simple as logging right into a cloud computing service.
Area Will be Palms-On for the Subsequent Era
Samantray’s motivation for TakeMe2Space comes from his background in pc science. Rising up, he had easy accessibility to computer systems, which nurtured his love for coding. Nevertheless, he noticed that house has remained largely inaccessible to younger minds.
“For those who’re interested by house, probably the most you are able to do immediately is learn a analysis paper or perhaps play with an electronics equipment,” he defined. “No one will get to activity their very own satellite tv for pc.”
TakeMe2Space goals to bridge this hole by providing an AI-powered satellite tv for pc lab. Faculties and universities can subscribe, permitting college students to log in remotely, add code in Python or C++, and work together with an actual satellite tv for pc.
“Identical to how colleges have pc labs, electronics labs, and robotics labs, we consider there ought to be a satellite tv for pc lab,” stated Samantray. “Our satellites will likely be brazenly accessible for college kids to run their private experiments.”
Samantray (left) on the Sriharikota launchpad.
Thus far, the schooling sector has proven curiosity, however surprisingly, most early adopters are usually not universities. Out of 20 clients who’ve signed up, solely 4 are from the schooling sector, whereas the remaining 16 are from GIS (geographic info programs) and information analytics firms.
From a enterprise viewpoint, the corporate offers “for ₹20,000 within the pricing, 90 minutes of the satellite tv for pc time in orbit.”
TakeMe2Space payload on board the ISRO SpaDeX Mission
AI in Area is Extra Than Simply Information Assortment
The mixing of AI in TakeMe2Space’s mannequin is a key differentiator. Historically, satellites seize uncooked information, which is then processed on Earth. However AI-driven satellites can course of photos in orbit, making selections on what information to gather and obtain.
One experiment carried out on TakeMe2Space’s AI lab by the College of Southampton concerned utilizing a low-power AI algorithm to cut back movement blur in satellite tv for pc photos. “A satellite tv for pc strikes at 7 km per second, so capturing a transparent picture is a problem,” stated Samantray. “As a substitute of utilizing conventional pointing and staring strategies, AI can take away movement blur in real-time.”
Samantray and the crew engaged on the payload at TakeMe2Space.
AI additionally permits for real-time object detection and alter detection. This implies satellites can prioritise what photos to seize and transmit, decreasing pointless information transmission and saving bandwidth.
“Our goal is not only to supply satellite tv for pc information,” Samantray emphasised. “We wish to give customers management of the satellite tv for pc itself.”
Safety and Moral Considerations
With TakeMe2Space providing satellite tv for pc entry to a broader viewers, issues about information safety and moral utilization naturally come up.
Permitting people and companies to activity satellites in actual time raises questions on privateness, misuse, and cybersecurity dangers. Samantray acknowledged these challenges and detailed the safeguards the corporate has carried out.
“We’re enabling folks to regulate a satellite tv for pc, which implies we’ve to be two steps forward when it comes to safety,” he stated. “Our system is designed to preemptively cease any dangerous actions earlier than they happen, quite than reacting after the actual fact.”
To stop unauthorised actions, TakeMe2Space doesn’t equip its satellites with propulsion programs, guaranteeing they can’t be hijacked and redirected towards different objects.
Moreover, the corporate has capped the decision of its satellite tv for pc imagery at no finer than 5 meters per pixel, stopping privateness violations. “Even when one thing goes improper, nobody can use our satellite tv for pc for surveillance or for interfering with different house objects,” Samantray assured.
On the information entrance, TakeMe2Space follows strict encryption protocols. Prospects retain possession of the information they generate, and the corporate doesn’t retailer or declare rights over it. “We’re like an infrastructure supplier, just like how AWS doesn’t personal the purposes operating on its servers,” he defined.
Constructing the Way forward for Area Computing in India
As reiterated by the founder, TakeMe2Space doesn’t intend to compete with typical Earth statement corporations. Moderately, it envisions a future by which computing transitions to house.
“We’re not right here to be one other Earth statement firm,” stated Samantray. “We wish to construct information centres in orbit the place AI and computing occur in house, not on Earth.”
By shifting heavy computation duties to satellites, TakeMe2Space goals to cut back Earth’s energy consumption. The world’s growing reliance on AI, information storage, and cloud computing is driving exponential vitality demand.
Operating AI fashions in house, the place temperatures are extraordinarily chilly and warmth dissipation is extra environment friendly, might be a long-term resolution.
“Area offers you a really managed and predictable temperature setting, and no matter warmth you generate up there has no influence on Earth’s environment. Absolutely the temperature of any level in house is 4 Kelvin, in order a lot warmth as you generate, it absorbs the warmth, which is able to simply be a degree of warmth for house.”
Wanting forward, TakeMe2Space hopes to scale its mannequin, increasing past AI labs to full-fledged house computing infrastructure. The corporate shouldn’t be reliant on authorities funding however sees the non-public sector as its major market. “We’re constructing for personal companies, not simply defence or authorities clients,” Samantray clarified.
If it succeeds, the startup might redefine international interactions with satellites, making house an accessible laboratory for everybody.
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