Capella Space's Acadia-class SAR satellites deliver 25 cm resolution radar imagery with 1-hour global revisit for defense, insurance, and maritime intelligence.
Acadia SAR Satellite Constellation
Capella Space's Acadia-class SAR satellites deliver 25 cm resolution radar imagery with 1-hour global revisit for defense, insurance, and maritime intelligence.
Description
Capella Space operates a commercial synthetic aperture radar (SAR) constellation using its Acadia-class satellites — among the highest-resolution commercial SAR systems available. The Acadia satellites achieve 25 cm resolution in Spot mode, 50 cm in high-resolution Spotlight mode, and 1.5 m in Strip mode, all with the key SAR advantage of operating through clouds and in complete darkness.
Each Acadia satellite weighs approximately 100 kg and operates at ~525 km SSO. The constellation provides revisit periods as short as 1 hour over priority targets when the full fleet is operational. Capella Space targets US and allied defense/intelligence agencies, commercial maritime intelligence (dark vessel detection, sanctions enforcement), infrastructure monitoring, and disaster response.
Capella Space is headquartered in San Francisco and has contracts with the US National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and multiple defense customers through the Commercial SAR Initiative. The company differentiates from ICEYE and Synspective through its higher-resolution capability and US-ownership classification. Capella's SAR data is available through its own API, AWS Data Exchange, and through defense-prime integrators.
Specifications
| Resolution | 25 cm (Spot mode), 50 cm (Spotlight), 1.5 m (Strip) |
|---|---|
| Orbit | 525 km SSO |
| Imaging mode | SAR — all-weather, day/night |
| Satellite mass | ~100 kg |
| Revisit rate | As fast as 1 hour (full constellation) |
| Key contracts | US NRO, Commercial SAR Initiative |
| HQ | San Francisco, California, USA |
