Indian space tech startup TakeMe2Space is preparing to launch its MOI-1A satellite aboard a SpaceX rocket on Oct. 2 as part of the Transporter-18 rideshare mission, marking a step toward commercializing AI-powered computing in orbit.
The 14-kilogram satellite is designed to process Earth-observation data in space, allowing customers to run AI models directly on imagery before transmitting processed insights to the ground. MOI-1A carries 117 TOPS of onboard computing capacity, 2 TB of storage and a nine-band multispectral imager, according to TakeMe2Space.
By processing imagery in orbit, the satellite can reduce the need to transmit large volumes of raw data to Earth. The company says the system can support applications including agricultural monitoring, mining and supply-chain intelligence, where faster access to processed information can be useful.
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MOI-1A follows TakeMe2Space’s 2024 MOI-TD technology demonstration, which validated onboard AI inference and data processing. The company says it has signed up 23 customers for its in-orbit inference services, with the upcoming mission representing a step toward commercial delivery.
“Satellites collect vast amounts of data, but much of it still has to reach the ground before it can be turned into useful information. With MOI-1A, customers will be able to run their AI models directly in orbit and receive the insights they need, without downloading all the raw imagery.
This mission is an important step towards making computing in space a service that businesses can use,” said Ronak Kumar Samantray, founder and CEO of TakeMe2Space.
The company’s longer-term plan is to offer computing in space as a service, allowing customers to process data in orbit rather than relying entirely on ground-based infrastructure.
TakeMe2Space plans to build larger, networked satellites capable of serving multiple customers. Reuters reported that the company plans to launch larger satellites from 2027.
TakeMe2Space describes its broader goal as building “India’s first data center in space.” Its website says a planned constellation of six satellites will use onboard computing to process Earth-observation data in orbit.
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However, MOI-1A is an orbital edge-computing satellite rather than a conventional data center. Reuters reported that the satellite has about 150 watts of power and uses Nvidia Orin NX processors for onboard computing. The company’s website lists 120 watts of payload allocation and 117 TOPS of computing capacity.
TakeMe2Space says its MOI satellites are designed to process imagery onboard and transmit only the resulting insights, reducing the amount of raw data that needs to be sent to Earth. Its OrbitLab platform allows customers to upload AI models and run them on the satellite’s onboard computing infrastructure.
The company’s MOI-1 satellite was lost in January 2026 after the PSLV-C62 launch vehicle experienced a third-stage anomaly during ascent. TakeMe2Space says the satellite’s systems remained nominal until the loss. MOI-1A is the company’s next mission and is scheduled to launch from California in October.