Indian startup TakeMe2Space is set to launch its MOI-1A satellite, a sub-50 kg orbital computing platform, aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-18 mission on 1 October, according to a Reuters report dated 28 September.

The satellite carries an Nvidia Orin NX chip designed to process data in orbit instead of sending raw information back to Earth. The company has signed up 23 customers for the mission.

Orbital computing is a growing field. Satellites that can analyse images and sensor data in space can respond faster to events on the ground, from disasters to crop monitoring.

The launch marks a milestone for India’s private space sector, which has grown rapidly since the government opened the industry to startups. TakeMe2Space is among a new wave of firms building space infrastructure.

If successful, the mission could pave the way for larger orbital data centres, turning satellites into flying computers for paying customers.

Space industry experts say demand for in-orbit processing is rising fast. Defence agencies, farm analytics firms and disaster-response teams are all potential users of real-time satellite data.