Capella Space, a radar satellite imagery startup has received a research contract of $3 million, in support of the Space Development Agency‘s (SDA) National Defense Space Architecture, as reported by a news website.
Based in San Francisco, Capella Space is building a constellation of synthetic aperture radar imaging satellites that can see through clouds and darkness.
Payam Bazanadeh, CEO and Co-founder, Capella Space was quoted saying, “We are delighted for the opportunity to work with the Space Development Agency. As the first and only American SAR company, this further expands our existing partnership with the US government.”
The SDA is building a network of satellites in low Earth orbit for US military communications and missile defense. It is developing a Transport Layer of data-relay satellites and a Tracking Layer of sensor satellites to detect and track missiles.
The agency in the broad area announcement (BAA) said it is interested in “novel remote sensing phenomenologies.” The agency is looking for “innovative distributed sensing concepts, novel sensing modalities, with applications to missile threat detection and tracking and surveillance of time-critical targets.”
Capella Space was selected through a “broad agency announcement” issued by the space agency in January seeking proposals on a wide range of technologies for “National Defense Space Architecture Systems, Technologies, and Emerging Capabilities.”
