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260:'s network of geostationary communications satellites enables real-time tasking of Capella's satellites. Customers can use a self-service electronic portal and API to task a Capella satellite for a radar image. In 2021, Capella received a $ 3 million research contract in support of the Space Development Agency's National Defense Space Architecture. Capella was chosen through a
361:
mission. Rocket Lab encountered delays after an
Electron launch failed on 4 July 2020. Meanwhile, SAOCOM 1B launch preparations resumed and the Argentina satellite lifted off earlier on 30 August 2020 at 23:18:00 UTC, hours before the Rocket Lab mission with Sequoia, on 31 August 2020 at 03:05:47
402:
satellites, called "Acadia". These new satellites represent an improvement from
Capella's previous satellite generations with increased radar bandwidth from 500 MHz to 700 MHz, and will be able to provide better resolution, higher imaging quality and shorter times between customer orders and
211:
and commercial customers. Capella is launching its third-generation Acadia satellites. Sequoia, the first-generation satellite, launched in August 2020. Six second-generation
Whitney satellites were launched between January 2021 and January 2022 on SpaceX Transporter
1073:
220:
orbit. In 2023, Capella began launching its third-generation, Acadia satellites. Capella is launch agnostic, leveraging diverse launch providers to place its satellites in a variety of orbits, both mid-inclination and sun-synchronous.
403:
delivery. They are equipped with optical communication terminals (OCTs) making
Capella Space the first commercial SAR company to demonstrate Optical Inter-Satellite Links. In early 2023, Capella announced a multi-launch agreement with
299:. Canadian officials have easy access to Capella’s high-quality imagery and automated tasking capabilities for a variety of use cases including monitoring natural resources, mining operations, ice flows, maritime activity and more.
284:. This enables NASA research evaluators from across the country with easy access to Capella’s high-resolution data archive and automated tasking capabilities as they find novel new ways to monitor the Earth and the environment.
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1101:
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awarded
Capella a contract in November 2019 to incorporate the company's imagery into the Air Force's virtual reality software. Capella also has a contract with the
224:
As of
January 2024, Capella Space had four operational satellites. It has raised about $ 250 million in total equity and debt financing since its founding in 2016.
407:
for four dedicated launches, including a launch of
Capella's first Acadia satellite. The launch of the first satellite took place on 23 August 2023 at 23:45 UTC.
236:(NRO) awarded Capella a contract to study the integration of Capella's commercial radar imagery with the NRO's government-owned surveillance satellites. The
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Capella designs, manufactures and operates a fleet of synthetic aperture radar satellites to provide high-resolution, all-weather imagery to the
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Capella-9 (Whitney-7) and
Capella-10 (Whitney-8), two additional satellites in this series, to be launched no earlier than 10 January 2023.
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with access to SAR imagery for key missions. Capella was also awarded two
Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition (CSDA) contracts with
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The company was founded in 2016, has more than 200 employees (January 2024), and raised venture capital from investors such as
162:
is an
American space company with satellite and declassified SAR data solutions for government and commercial use. It offers
825:"DIUx, the Defense Department unit that funds Silicon Valley's space industry to help detect a North Korean attack — Quartz"
362:
UTC. The Electron launcher delivered Sequoia to a 525 km orbit, inclined 45.0°. Sequoia has a launch weight of 100 kg.
335:, according to Payam Banazadeh. It was booked to fly as a rideshare passenger on the Falcon 9 launch with Argentina's
1288:
357:
for a dedicated launch for a future satellite, and Banazadeh said the company decided instead to put Sequoia on the
136:
1002:
1102:"Capella Space Unveils Next Generation Satellite with Enhanced Imagery Capabilities and Communication Features"
321:
233:
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Six Whitney satellites were originally planned. The first two (Capella-3 and Capella-4) were launched on the
851:"Capella Space plans to launch imaging satellites that can see through clouds using orbital radar — Quartz"
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Capella-7 and Capella-8 were launched as a rideshare on the mission Transporter-3 on 13 January 2022.
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in late March 2020. But that launch was also delayed at the request of Argentine's space agency (
324:(PSLV) in late 2019, but the mission was postponed, prompting Capella to move the satellite to a
237:
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Capella-5 (Whitney-3) was launched as a rideshare on the mission Transporter-2 on 30 June 2021.
927:"Capella Space raises $ 60 million from fund run by billionaire entertainment exec Thomas Tull"
39:
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to determine the suitability of Capella’s data to advance NASA’s Earth science missions: a
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8:
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1128:"Rocket Lab Signs Multi-Launch Deal to Deploy Satellite Constellation for Capella Space"
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Capella-6 (Whitney-4) was launched as a rideshare on Starlink V1.0 L26 on 15 May 2021.
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268:(PLEO) contract through the U.S. Space Systems Command (SSC) to support SSC and the
1003:"Mission Status Center: Rocket launches Capella's first commercial radar satellite"
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that can collect imagery through clouds and at night. The company is based in
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In August 2022 the company announced the development of a new generation of
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1222:
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256:'s intelligence community to assist Capella. An inter-satellite link with
974:"Capella Space wins research contract from U.S. Space Development Agency"
799:
1047:"SpaceX successfully launches Transporter 2 mission with 88 satellites"
804:
404:
358:
354:
346:) as travel and work restrictions were implemented at the onset of the
98:
291:, Capella imagery is also now available to government offices across
371:
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n indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity, multiple-award contract
257:
952:"Rocket Lab returns to service with successful launch for Capella"
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28:
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350:. That left Capella looking for another ride for Sequoia.
185:. It was founded by Payam Banazadeh, a former engineer at
148:
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252:(CRADA), earlier in 2020 to allow researchers from the
266:
Proliferated Low Earth Orbit Satellite-Based Services
766:
1270:
1074:"FCC LIcense Application SAT-MOD-20220919-00111"
924:
353:Capella had previously signed a contract with
250:Cooperative Research and Development Agreement
1154:"Rocket Lab reuses engine on Electron launch"
997:
995:
1294:Manufacturing companies established in 2015
992:
944:
27:
1299:Technology companies established in 2015
1284:Aerospace companies of the United States
1279:Companies based in Palo Alto, California
316:was originally supposed to launch as a
246:National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
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1236:Krebs, Gunter Dirk (5 December 2023).
1209:"Capella 2, ..., 9 (Sequoia, Whitney)"
905:"Capella 2, ..., 7 (Sequoia, Whitney)"
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897:
1235:
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374:Transporter-1 rideshare mission to a
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278:multi-year blanket purchase agreement
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307:
894:
13:
1025:"Starlink V1 L26 & Rideshares"
925:Michael Sheetz (10 January 2023).
843:
14:
1315:
1304:2015 establishments in California
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1206:
1191:
1005:. Spaceflight Now. 30 August 2020
954:. Spaceflight Now. 31 August 2020
817:
264:. In 2023, Capella was awarded a
769:
1238:"Capella 11, ..., TBD (Acadia)"
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1108:(Press release). 22 August 2022
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297:National Master Standing Offers
200:, Data Collective, Pear VC and
1152:Foust, Jeff (23 August 2023).
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322:Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
234:National Reconnaissance Office
1:
1045:Lentz, Danny (29 June 2021).
810:
302:
193:, and William Walter Woods.
1194:"Capella 1 (Capella Denali)"
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167:Earth observation satellites
7:
785:Earth observation satellite
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340:radar observation satellite
129:High-Resolution (sub-0.5m)
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262:broad agency announcement
187:Jet Propulsion Laboratory
175:San Francisco, California
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26:
1289:Spacecraft manufacturers
171:synthetic-aperture radar
314:Earth-imaging satellite
1211:. Gunter's Space Page.
1196:. Gunter's Space Page.
16:American space company
1240:. Gunter's Space Page
378:on 24 January 2021.
376:Sun-synchronous orbit
320:on the Indian rocket
218:polar Sun-synchronous
61:; 8 years ago
1207:Krebs, Gunter Dirk.
1192:Krebs, Gunter Dirk.
877:"Capella Space Corp"
287:In partnership with
183:Louisville, Colorado
1223:"Satellite Catalog"
1179:"Satellite Catalog"
1082:. 19 September 2022
627:
626:List of satellites
412:
411:List of satellites
23:
777:Spaceflight portal
625:
410:
366:Whitney satellites
121:Frank Backes (CEO)
21:
760:
759:
623:
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394:Acadia satellites
348:COVID-19 pandemic
318:secondary payload
308:Sequoia satellite
295:through Canada’s
289:Pacific Geomatics
164:space-based radar
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50:Earth Observation
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270:U.S. Space Force
216:missions into a
179:Washington, D.C.
177:with offices in
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831:. 2 August 2017
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697:Launch Vehicle
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19:
1242:. Retrieved
1231:
1225:. CelesTrak.
1217:
1202:
1187:
1181:. CelesTrak.
1173:
1161:. Retrieved
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1135:. Retrieved
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1110:. Retrieved
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1086:20 September
1084:. Retrieved
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1056:. Retrieved
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1007:. Retrieved
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833:. Retrieved
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790:COSMO-SkyMed
729:
686:7 April 2024
674:Launch date
513:16 Mar 2023
483:Launch date
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312:The Sequoia
311:
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149:capellaspace
135:Imagery and
91:Headquarters
36:Company type
18:
958:1 September
800:Planet Labs
748:Decay date
721:Inclination
680:19 Sep 2023
677:23 Aug 2023
649:Capella-16
617:6 Sept 2023
614:26 Aug 2023
611:29 Mar 2024
608:23 Feb 2023
602:26 Feb 2023
599:28 Feb 2023
596:25 Jan 2023
593:Decay date
556:Inclination
544:Falcon 9 B5
541:Falcon 9 B5
538:Falcon 9 B5
535:Falcon 9 B5
532:Falcon 9 B5
529:Falcon 9 B5
522:Falcon 9 B5
510:16 Mar 2023
507:13 Jan 2022
504:13 Jan 2022
501:15 May 2021
498:30 Jun 2021
495:24 Jan 2021
492:24 Jan 2021
489:31 Aug 2020
446:Capella-10
107:Area served
1273:Categories
1244:6 December
886:3 November
881:forbes.com
861:3 November
835:3 November
811:References
805:TerraSAR-X
723:(degrees)
646:Capella-15
643:Capella-14
640:Capella-13
637:Capella-12
634:Capella-11
605:8 Apr 2023
558:(degrees)
486:3 Dec 2018
478:Whitney-8
405:Rocket Lab
359:Rocket Lab
355:Rocket Lab
303:Satellites
244:, and the
137:geospatial
117:Key people
99:California
83:Will Woods
66:March 2016
59:March 2016
1163:23 August
1112:23 August
1009:31 August
984:7 October
978:SpaceNews
715:Falcon 9
669:Acadia-6
550:Electron
475:Whitney-7
472:Whitney-6
469:Whitney-5
466:Whitney-4
463:Whitney-3
460:Whitney-2
457:Whitney-1
443:Capella-9
440:Capella-8
437:Capella-7
434:Capella-6
431:Capella-5
428:Capella-4
425:Capella-3
422:Capella-2
419:Capella-1
337:SAOCOM 1B
248:signed a
228:Contracts
214:rideshare
139:solutions
133:satellite
111:Worldwide
931:cnbc.com
763:See also
712:Falcon 9
709:Falcon 9
706:Electron
703:Electron
700:Electron
666:Acadia-5
663:Acadia-4
660:Acadia-3
657:Acadia-2
654:Acadia-1
547:Electron
526:Electron
372:Falcon 9
326:Falcon 9
258:Inmarsat
126:Products
74:Founders
46:Industry
1264:website
1137:15 July
1058:30 June
936:10 July
454:Sequoia
144:Website
64: (
56:Founded
40:Private
1030:13 May
910:13 May
855:qz.com
829:qz.com
451:Denali
333:SpaceX
329:rocket
293:Canada
181:, and
101:, U.S.
795:ICEYE
743:97.0
726:53.0
692:2024
631:Name
588:44.0
416:Name
344:CONAE
280:and a
1246:2023
1165:2023
1139:2024
1114:2023
1088:2022
1060:2021
1032:2021
1011:2020
986:2021
960:2020
938:2023
912:2021
888:2017
863:2017
837:2017
740:97.0
737:45.4
734:53.0
585:44.0
582:97.5
579:97.5
576:53.0
573:97.5
570:97.4
567:97.5
564:45.1
561:97.7
274:NASA
242:Navy
191:NASA
151:.com
1079:FCC
400:SAR
331:of
189:of
131:SAR
1275::
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890:.
865:.
839:.
68:)
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