Companies specializing in radar satellites for imaging and intelligence collection are rapidly introducing new technologies aimed at military and defense agencies. This surge is fueled by the global demand for detailed, precise surveillance of ground targets.
Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites, capable of capturing high-resolution imagery in any weather and at any time of day, are seeing increased deployment. Defense customers are seeking more accurate insights from space, industry executives say.
Iceye, a Finnish company and a rising player in the SAR satellite industry, announced on October 2nd that its satellites, able to discern objects as small as 25 centimeters, can identify specific types of military equipment. They can even detect targets concealed beneath tree cover or dense foliage.
Eric Jensen, CEO of Iceye US, highlighted the company’s addition of new imaging features to their 25-centimeter SAR satellites. These enhancements cater to the needs of defense and intelligence customers who require monitoring fast-moving geopolitical situations. “Regional conflicts around the world have really emphasized the need for commercial SAR,” Jensen said.
High-resolution SAR is in high demand for border security, maritime safety, and disaster response, according to Jensen. “I think over time we’re going to see the scientific community also start to harness the power of 25 centimeter X band SAR. It hasn’t been available to them to date.”
A report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) released on October 1st analyzed the global remote sensing satellite market. It revealed that US-based SAR companies have overtaken their European and Canadian counterparts. The report attributes this to regulatory reforms in recent years, which have allowed US firms to excel in the SAR sector.
Companies like Umbra Space and Capella Space have leveraged these reforms to advance their SAR technologies for both commercial and defense applications. The CSIS report ranked Iceye third in X-band SAR imaging, behind Umbra and Capella. However, Iceye was recognized as the industry leader in revisit rate, the frequency at which satellites can reimage the same area. This capability is essential for near-real-time monitoring of trends and activities on Earth.
Todd Master, chief operating officer of Umbra Space, spoke about the increasing interest from foreign governments in establishing their own sovereign SAR constellations. “A lot of sovereign foreign allies desire to have their own systems,” Master said at the CSIS report launch on October 1st. “There’s a lot of really interesting dynamics there.”
Umbra, known for developing commercial SAR solutions tailored for defense, is also expanding into international markets. The US government historically provided SAR imagery, but the commercial sector is now filling the demand for independent SAR capabilities.
“Commercial SAR is really new to the scene, and particularly new in the United States,” Master added, emphasizing the sector’s rapid growth in the private market as governments seek alternatives to traditional electro-optical satellite imagery.