An artist rendition of a Capella SAR satellite. Photo: Capella

Capella Space announced Monday that in 2020, it will launch seven Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites and start commercial operations. The company bills itself as the first small satellite SAR company in the industry to capture sub-0.5 m Very High-Resolution (VHR) imagery. Capella is fully funded to complete its seven-satellite constellation launch in 2020, with backing from multi-billion-dollar funds DCVC (Data Collective) and Spark Capital.

Over the past year, Capella has entered deals with divisions of the U.S. government, including a contract with the U.S. Air Force. The company has also partnered with Inmarsat, Addvalue, and Amazon Web Services (AWS) to task satellites in real-time and deliver SAR data via the AWS Ground Station network. Capella claims it is the only Earth Observation (EO) company that can accept and task its satellites in real time. The company plans to deliver imagery to customers within about 30 minutes of collection. 

“Capella embodies DCVC’s mission of applying breakthrough technology to transform major industries while also generating impressive returns,” said Dr. Chris Boshuizen, a partner at DCVC and co-founder of Planet Labs. “With new advancements allowing sub-0.5 meter very high-resolution, impressive partnerships and a commitment to delivering imagery in real time, Capella reminds me of where Planet was in the optical market several years back: on the cusp of breaking open a massive new commercial opportunity.”