In a significant step towards space-based computing, India may soon see its first large language model trained in orbit, as new developments push AI infrastructure beyond Earth.
Space-tech startup Pixxel has partnered with Sarvam AI to build India’s first orbital data centre satellite, named The Pathfinder. The 200-kg satellite is expected to be launched by the end of 2026 and will carry GPUs to support both training and inference of Sarvam’s AI models.
Unlike traditional satellites that use low-power processors, The Pathfinder will include hardware similar to ground-based data centres used for advanced AI models. This move comes as global companies explore space to overcome power limitations on Earth. Firms like Google and SpaceX are also exploring similar concepts.
The growing demand for data centres is a key factor behind this shift. Global capacity is expected to reach 200 GW by 2030, while India’s capacity could grow from 1.8 GW to 10.5 GW by 2031. Rising energy needs and public concerns around large data centres are pushing companies to explore alternatives like orbital computing.
As part of the collaboration, Pixxel will design, build, launch, and operate the satellite, which will be developed at its upcoming Gigapixxel facility with a capacity to produce up to 100 satellites. Sarvam will handle AI model training and inference directly in space, without relying on foreign cloud or ground systems.
The mission will test real-time AI processing in space, including performance, power management, and thermal conditions. It will also help establish the foundation for future orbital data centre systems.
“Orbital data centres open up a new frontier, where compute can be powered by abundant solar energy, operate closer to space-based data, and move beyond some of the limits faced on Earth. For Pixxel to build the next generation of space infrastructure, we have to help shape this shift, not watch it happen from the sidelines,” Pixxel CEO Awais Ahmed said.
“Sarvam has been building India’s full-stack AI platform from the ground up, and partnering with Pixxel allows us to extend that sovereign stack into space. Having India-built models running in orbit aboard an India-built satellite is exactly the kind of foundational capability that the country needs to control its own intelligence infrastructure,” Sarvam CEO Pratyush Kumar said.
The satellite will also carry a hyperspectral imaging camera to capture high-quality data, which will be processed directly in orbit. This will allow faster insights by reducing the need to send large volumes of data back to Earth.
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