Capella Space Awarded DOD Contract for New SAR Satellites

Insider Brief

• Capella Space has partnered with the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to develop new synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging modes for the Hybrid Space Architecture (HSA).
• The initiative, valued at up to $4.2 million, will enhance maritime domain awareness by enabling rapid, broad-area SAR imaging that can detect and track vessels, icebergs, and other objects in all weather, day or night.
• Capella will leverage its fully automated Tasking system to deliver low-latency imagery and support DIU’s goal of integrating advanced commercial capabilities into U.S. government systems to benefit operational decision-making.

PRESS RELEASE – Capella Space Corp., an American space tech company with data and satellite solutions for government and commercial applications, announced a partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to develop new synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging acquisition modes to support the Hybrid Space Architecture (HSA). Backed by Capella Space’s fully automated Tasking system, these enhancements will provide an unmatched ability to reliably provide low-latency imagery with broad-area coverage to enhance maritime domain awareness and mapping applications.

“These new imaging modes will enable our government partners to access an unmatched rapid, broad-area monitoring capability for enhanced decision-making day or night, regardless of weather conditions,” said Frank Backes, CEO of Capella Space. “Capella’s fully automated Tasking system and the ability to improve our capabilities on-orbit allows us to quickly iterate to meet our partners’ evolving mission needs. Through this partnership, Capella will be able to lend our high-quality imaging capabilities to support DIU’s initiative to integrate advanced commercial capabilities into U.S. government systems and support warfighters on the ground.”

Valued up to $4.2 million, Capella will use this award to develop new low-latency, broad-area imaging capabilities to enable users to rapidly track vessels, icebergs and other objects across the maritime domain. Capella’s high-resolution SAR satellite system images in all weather, day or night, providing consistent monitoring capabilities to support change detection, patterns of life analysis, disaster response, mining operations and more.

This award builds on the strong partnerships Capella Space has developed with other U.S. government agencies, including the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), U.S. Air Force, U.S. Space Force and NASA.