Exolaunch USA Wins Launch Contract from Capella Space for Pioneering SAR Satellite Mission

December 06, 2023

-

Exolaunch USA, a global provider of rideshare launch mission management and deployment services and hardware for small satellites, has signed a launch contract with Capella Space, an American synthetic aperture radar (SAR) space tech pioneer with data and satellite solutions for government and commercial applications.

The award is for ?Capella Space’s Acadia-5 satellite, to be launched to a sun-synchronous orbit on SpaceX’s Transporter-11 mission. This collaboration marks the first launch contract between Exolaunch USA and Capella Space, showcasing Exolaunch's expanding capabilities in the US space sector. Exolaunch, through its multi-launch agreement with SpaceX, is set to oversee the launch planning, mission management, environmental testing and satellite integration with Falcon 9. Acadia-5 will further enhance Capella Space’s mission to deliver sub-daily, 24/7 and all-weather Earth observation data to serve customers across government, academia and commercial sectors with reliable information for better decision-making.

“We are excited to work with Exolaunch to continue to expand and upgrade our existing satellite constellation with next-generation SAR technology,” said Frank Backes, CEO of Capella Space. “Their services will help move forward Capella’s aggressive launch schedule to meet the growing demand for high-resolution, high-quality SAR imagery.

The SpaceX Transporter program remains a crucial platform for Exolaunch’s time-tested flight heritage. Over 250 satellites have now been integrated and successfully deployed by Exolaunch on the reliable and reusable Falcon 9 launch vehicles. The technical expertise of Exolaunch USA was necessary due to the significant leaps in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) technology (enhanced resolution, increased power, improved payload downlink, and advanced inter-satellite communications), which Acadia will now demonstrate.

"We are thrilled that Capella Space has placed their trust in Exolaunch USA for their growing constellation of commercial SAR satellites supporting NASA, U.S. Space Systems Command, and more," said Kier Fortier, Managing Director at Exolaunch USA. "It's truly an honor to now aid the benchmarks Capella Space continues to set for rapid customer demand growth. Our teams will be looking forward to a successful launch with SpaceX!"

This collaboration between Exolaunch and Capella Space not only exemplifies Exolaunch's proficiency in satellite deployment but also underscores the ease of access to space facilitated by SpaceX. By leveraging Exolaunch's experience in conducting hassle-free launches, Capella Space can concentrate on its core competency of delivering state-of-the-art SAR imagery. This partnership is pivotal in aiding Capella's mission to provide ubiquitous data – a vision that promises to revolutionize our understanding of the Earth and enhance global decision-making processes.

Source : Exolaunch