A Hyderabad-based space tech startup has announced its ambitious project to make space sciences research more accessible to people by launching India’s first Artificial Intelligence (AI) – driven laboratory in space. The startup Take Me 2 Space intends to launch an AI powered satellite lab into space that can be remotely operated by students in schools and universities of India.
In India, space access is limited to the government, defence agencies, and the best research institutes. The firm aims to equalise space access by offering students, researchers, and businessmen real-time access to satellites.
According to an interview published in The Analytics India Mag (AIM), the company’s founder, Ronak Kumar Samantray, said, “You don’t have to be at NASA, ISRO, or an IIT to run an experiment in space. Sitting in Kerala, Delhi, or even Antarctica, you should be able to operate a satellite.”
He further added that, “If you’re interested in space, the most you can do today is read a research paper or maybe play with an electronics kit.” He stated that, “Nobody gets to task their satellite.”
The company’s target is to fill these gaps by launching an AI-powered satellite lab. Schools and universities can subscribe to it by permitting their students to log in remotely, upload code in Python or C++, and interact with a real satellite.
Ronak Kumar added that, “Just like how schools have computer labs, electronics labs, and robotics labs, we believe there should be a satellite lab,” said Samantray. “Our satellites will be openly accessible for students to run their experiments.”
As per the reports, Out of 20 customers who have signed up, only four are in the field of education sector, the remaining 16 are from GIS (geographic information systems) and data analytics companies.
Samantray emphasized, “Our aim is not just to provide satellite data, we want to give users control of the satellite itself.”
He further said that, “We are enabling people to control a satellite, which means we have to be two steps ahead in terms of security and our system is designed to preemptively stop any harmful actions before they occur, rather than reacting after the fact.”
He explained that, “We want to build data centres in orbit where AI and computing happen in space, not on Earth.”
Samantray clarified that, “We’re building for private businesses, not just defence or government customers.”
This year after the demonstration mission with ISRO, the next step of the firm is to launch two fully operational satellites, with a long-term object to build the future of computing in orbit.
However, If the firm succeeds, the startup can reconsider the global interactions with satellites, making space an accessible laboratory for everyone.
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