Pixxel expands Firefly fleet advancing global hyperspectral satellite imaging

Pixxel expands Firefly fleet advancing global hyperspectral satellite imaging
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Sep 03, 2025

Pixxel has added three new Firefly satellites to orbit aboard SpaceX's NAOS Mission, doubling its commercial constellation to six. The company says this expansion delivers humanity's first daily, high-resolution hyperspectral view of Earth, enabling detailed environmental monitoring and predictive analytics at planetary scale.

The Fireflies operate collectively as the most advanced commercial hyperspectral imaging system to date. Each satellite records more than 135 spectral bands at five-meter resolution across a 40-kilometer swath. This capability allows early detection of vegetation stress, identification of pollution sources, and mapping of mineral resources - tasks conventional imaging systems cannot perform with equal precision.

"Our earlier launches showed what was possible; this one shows what's next," said Awais Ahmed, Pixxel's founder and CEO. "Expanding to six Fireflies will transform hyperspectral imaging from isolated snapshots into a continuous planetary memory. With six Fireflies in orbit, the planet itself becomes a living laboratory. What was once invisible is now measurable, and what is measurable can finally be changed. For a better world for all to come."

Pixxel's upcoming Honeybee satellites are designed to extend spectral reach into shortwave infrared bands. Working in tandem with the Fireflies, they will create a global health monitoring system featuring faster revisit times and broader spectrum coverage. The company expects this expanded fleet to underpin predictive climate modeling, refined resource management, and near real-time environmental intelligence.

"This expansion of our fleet of Fireflies proves that we can successfully build, deploy, operate, and scale up the world's highest resolution hyperspectral satellite constellation to reach more customers at a higher revisit," said Kshitij Khandelwal, Pixxel's founder and CTO. "While there are multiple other satellites in the works, the upcoming Honeybees are special because they will take us further into the electro-magnetic spectrum, enhancing hyperspectral capabilities and increasing the number of use cases we can target."

Pixxel's first Fireflies have been operating for over eight months, proving the reliability of the system. With six satellites now active and its Aurora Earth Observation platform integrating data directly into user workflows, Pixxel is advancing Earth observation from reactive monitoring to predictive intelligence. AI-driven analytics are expected to help industries anticipate environmental change and governments respond more swiftly.