WASHINGTON — Capella Space, a San Francisco-based satellite imaging company, has secured a $14.9 million contract from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to provide synthetic aperture radar (SAR) services, the company announced on Monday.
Capella Space specializes in Earth observation using SAR technology, which allows for high-resolution imaging regardless of weather conditions or time of day. Unlike traditional optical satellites, SAR systems can penetrate cloud cover and darkness.
The contract, set to run until December 2026, is to integrate Capella’s SAR data into AFRL’s Global Unification Environment, an experimental cloud-based platform designed to test automated satellite tasking and imaging collection strategies using commercial systems.
Alexander Duchane, an electronics engineer at AFRL’s Space Vehicles Directorate, explained the reason for the project. “We’re interested in working with commercial satellite companies across multiple phenomenologies to understand their capabilities and military utility,” Duchane said Aug. 1 in a statement to SpaceNews.
AFRL, located at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico, said the agreement with Capella is a Small Business Innovation Research Phase 2 Strategic Funding Increase award. This type of contract is typically aimed at supporting small businesses in their research and development efforts with potential for commercialization.
Capella Space, founded in 2016, has been seeking to expand its footprint in the defense sector.
