the power of synthetic aperture radar
Day, night, poor weather – synthetic aperture radar (SAR) will see the objects of interest regardless. SAR sensors are now commercially available for a number of groundbreaking applications from defense to urban development.
Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is an active sensor using reflected radio waves to image the Earth’s surface.
Because it does not rely on natural sunlight reflected by objects, SAR can image at night, and through clouds – making it perfect for observations under difficult conditions.
We offer SAR imaging from Capella Space, a pioneer in commercial SAR satellites. Capella’s multi-orbit constellation of six satellites allows for a revisit of less than 3 hours over key regions.
- 9.4 - 9.9 GHz (X-band) SAR
- Up to 600 MHz bandwidth
- Up to 5 looks
- VV or HH polarization
- 5x5 km swath (Spotlight Ultra)
- 5x5 km swath (Spotlight)
- 10x20 km swath (Spotlight Wide)
- up to 20x100 km swath (Stripmap)
- Global coverage
- Up to 12 daily revisits
- Full product bundle
- Pass selection available
Collection modes
SPOTLIGHT (0.25 / 0.5 M)
In spotlight mode, the radar beam dwells over a fixed point, generating a detailed image with multiple looks, allowing fine details and movement to be detected.
SPOTLIGHT WIDE (1 M)
In spotlight wide mode, the look angle of the observation is gradually changed, illuminating a sliding point instead of a fixed one, and generating a longer image.
STRIPMAP (1.2 m)
In stripmap mode, the angle of the imaging beam is fixed relative to the Earth's surface, resulting in a long image strip covering a large area.
Urban development
With 21 million inhabitants, Lagos is the most populous city in Nigeria and the second most populous city in Africa.
This image from 16 August 2024 taken by the Capella 14 satellite shows parts of western Lagos on the Lagos Lagoon, including the University (top corner of the image), the National Stadium (left corner) and dense improvised housing (center).
This image from 16 August 2024 taken by the Capella 14 satellite shows parts of western Lagos on the Lagos Lagoon, including the University (top corner of the image), the National Stadium (left corner) and dense improvised housing (center).
- Spotlight mode
- 0.33 m ground resolution
- 9.65 GHz center frequency
- Horizontal (HH) polarization
- 3 azimuth looks
- left observation direction
- 38.2 deg look angle
- GEO product
Defense & Intelligence
Vilyuchinsk is a small town located on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia.
This otherwise unremarkable settlement hosts the Vilyuchinsk Naval Base, where nuclear ballistic missile submarines of the Russian Pacific Fleet are stationed. This image captured by Capella 15 shows Krashennikov Peninsula with the naval base and personnel residential area to the east.
This otherwise unremarkable settlement hosts the Vilyuchinsk Naval Base, where nuclear ballistic missile submarines of the Russian Pacific Fleet are stationed. This image captured by Capella 15 shows Krashennikov Peninsula with the naval base and personnel residential area to the east.
- Spotlight mode
- 0.39 m ground resolution
- 9.6 GHz center frequency
- Horizontal (HH) polarization
- 1 azimuth look
- left observation direction
- 31.5 deg look angle
- SLC product
Energy
The man-made Tiangang Lake in Jiangsu Province, China, hosts a peculiar installation – a combined photovoltaic power station and a fishery.
Solar panels cover nearly half of the lake’s area. One array of panels has been constructed to resemble a fish, visible in this image captured by Capella 2 in April 2021.
Solar panels cover nearly half of the lake’s area. One array of panels has been constructed to resemble a fish, visible in this image captured by Capella 2 in April 2021.
- Sliding spotlight mode
- 1.25 m ground resolution
- 9.65 GHz center frequency
- Horizontal (HH) polarization
- 5 azimuth looks
- left observation direction
- 27.9 deg look angle
- GEO product
Disaster management
Floods comprise more than 30% of all natural disasters recorded annually. They also cause the most damage and casualties.
This image clearly shows the extent of a local flood on the Richmond River in New South Wales, Australia, in 2021. One of the biggest advantages of SAR for disaster response is the ability to image in adverse weather conditions at any time of the day; further, it also allows for excellent flood delineation, enabling more precise damage assessments.
This image clearly shows the extent of a local flood on the Richmond River in New South Wales, Australia, in 2021. One of the biggest advantages of SAR for disaster response is the ability to image in adverse weather conditions at any time of the day; further, it also allows for excellent flood delineation, enabling more precise damage assessments.
- Sliding spotlight mode
- 0.93 m ground resolution
- 9.65 GHz center frequency
- Horizontal (HH) polarization
- 5 azimuth looks
- right observation direction
- 38.8 deg look angle
- GEO product
Not sure what data to use for your project? Book a free consultation with us and begin providing compelling answers to your customers with SAR imaging.
