India’s TakeMe2Space to Launch Distributed Orbital Data Center on SpaceX Falcon 9

Two 100 kg MOI constellation satellites will use optical inter-satellite links to share data and computing workloads in orbit, advancing TakeMe2Space's roadmap towards scalable orbital data centre infrastructure

TakeMe2Space has signed a Launch Service Agreement with RIDE! Space to fly two 100 kg MOI constellation satellites on the Waymaker-2 mission, targeted for launch in late 2028 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9. The two spacecraft will be TakeMe2Space’s first data centre-class satellites and form part of the company’s roadmap to move from single-satellite compute demonstrations to distributed orbital computing infrastructure.

The mission follows MOI-1a, scheduled to launch on 1 October 2026 on SpaceX’s Transporter-18 mission, with orbital injection expected by 8 October via a D-Orbit orbital transfer vehicle and LEOP operations targeted for completion by 16 October. MOI-1b is also scheduled to launch in 2026.

The mission will demonstrate distributed computing between spacecraft, with the two satellites using optical inter-satellite links to share data and computational workloads at high speed. It marks the next step in TakeMe2Space's development of space-based compute infrastructure, moving from computing onboard individual satellites towards a networked architecture in which multiple spacecraft can work together.

Each satellite is expected to generate and handle about 1.5 kW of power, host 10 Nvidia Thor GPUs and 100 TB of onboard storage, and carry a multispectral imager with approximately 1 m ground sampling distance. The pair will be linked by optical inter-satellite links, making this the first Indian mission designed to network computing across spacecraft rather than run it on a single satellite.

The two satellites will serve as technology demonstrators for the next generation of orbital data centre-class spacecraft. Their primary objective is to demonstrate high-performance computing infrastructure in orbit and its practical applications, allowing computational workloads to run close to where data is generated instead of transmitting large volumes of raw data to ground stations for processing.

The first application will be Earth observation. Each satellite will carry a multispectral imager with approximately 1 m ground sampling distance (GSD), while TakeMe2Space's OrbitLab platform will provide the onboard computing infrastructure to process and analyse imagery directly in orbit.

Workloads running onboard will process imagery and extract relevant information before downlink, demonstrating near-real-time Earth-observation analytics, intelligent image processing, data reduction and selective downlinking. Instead of relying on the transmission of large volumes of raw imagery for processing on Earth, the satellites will demonstrate how useful information can be generated closer to where the data is collected.

The two spacecraft will also carry technologies required to scale orbital computing towards future data centre-class infrastructure. These include high-performance onboard computing, 10 Nvidia Thor GPUs, 100 TB of onboard storage, power systems generating and handling approximately 1.5 kW per satellite, high-performance thermal management and optical inter-satellite links.

The optical links are a key part of the mission. They will allow data and workloads to move between the two spacecraft at high speed, demonstrating how standalone orbital computing platforms can evolve into distributed computing infrastructure across a constellation.

The power system will use silicon solar cells rather than gallium arsenide cells, which are commonly used in spacecraft. Silicon cells cost a fraction of gallium arsenide cells, and the choice is aimed at reducing the cost of each satellite, which can flow through to lower pricing for customers running workloads on the platform.

"Everything we have flown so far has been about proving that compute belongs in orbit. These two satellites take that further by demonstrating how compute and data can move between spacecraft. The ability for satellites to work together, rather than operate as isolated computing platforms, is fundamental to building scalable orbital data centre infrastructure," said Ronak Kumar Samantray, Founder and CEO, TakeMe2Space.

The mission will also demonstrate fine-pointing and precision attitude control through an indigenous attitude determination and control system (ADCS) architecture built on domestically developed reaction wheels, star trackers, fine sun sensors and other critical components. This includes StarSense, the star tracker TakeMe2Space introduced in June with support from IN-SPACe’s Technology Adoption Fund. The architecture is designed to meet the pointing requirements of both the imaging payload and future compute-intensive applications.

Waymaker-2 is the second mission under the Waymaker dedicated rideshare programme operated by SEOPS and is scheduled to fly aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 to a sun-synchronous orbit at approximately 500 km. TakeMe2Space secured its slot on the mission through RIDE! Space, the Paris-based launch mission management company.

"TakeMe2Space is bringing a new class of payload to rideshare, one defined as much by what it computes as by what it carries. Supporting two 100 kg spacecraft with demanding power, pointing and inter-satellite communication requirements demonstrates the kind of complex missions the Waymaker platform is designed to enable," said Valentin Benoit, CEO, RIDE! Space.

The Waymaker-2 mission forms part of TakeMe2Space's broader roadmap towards scalable orbital computing infrastructure. OrbitLab is designed to allow computational workloads to execute directly aboard satellites, enabling spacecraft to process and analyse information rather than function primarily as data-collection platforms.

By combining high-performance onboard computing with Earth-observation payloads and high-speed links between spacecraft, the mission will test a critical element of that roadmap: whether computing workloads and data can be distributed across multiple satellites as part of a shared orbital infrastructure.

Globally, several players have already launched orbital compute nodes. TakeMe2Space’s 2028 mission is unique because it will be India’s first to demonstrate distributed orbital computing across multiple satellites using optical inter‑satellite links.

In January this year, Axiom Space launched the first two orbital data center nodes into low Earth orbit, enabling AI/ML processing and secure data handling via Kepler Communications’ optical relay network. These nodes marked the first operational orbital data center infrastructure.

Later on July 2026, Sophia Space + Caltech secured a U.S. patent for space‑based data centers, laying groundwork for orbital compute infrastructure but focused on architecture and IP rather than immediate deployment.

Notably, Google Project Suncatcher will began testing orbital AI compute with TPUs aboard a small satellite, in October this year, validating feasibility for future constellations.

About TakeMe2Space

TakeMe2Space (TM2Space) is a Hyderabad-based deeptech company building orbital compute infrastructure. Its OrbitLab platform enables researchers, startups and enterprises to run AI models and computational workloads aboard satellites in orbit. Its first mission, MOI-TD, launched on December 30, 2024 and ran more than 20 experiments in low Earth orbit. The company designs and manufactures satellite subsystems and test systems in-house and is working towards a constellation of compute-enabled spacecraft and scalable orbital data centre infrastructure.

About RIDE! Space

RIDE! Space is a launch mission management company based in Paris, founded in 2020. Its platform provides satellite operators access to launch capacity across launch vehicles and orbital transfer vehicles, together with mission design, contracting, regulatory, logistics and launch campaign services. RIDE! Space has partnered with SEOPS on the Waymaker rideshare programme since 2024 and is a signatory to the ESA-backed Zero Debris Charter.

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