Capella Space To Become First Commercial SAR Company to Demonstrate Compatibility with the U.S. Space Development Agency's National Defense Space Architecture (NDSA)

Capella satellites will use laser communications from Mynaric to rapidly send and receive data

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Nov 09, 2021, 09:00 ET

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Capella Space today announced the company will become the first commercial synthetic aperture radar (SAR) supplier to demonstrate Optical Inter-Satellite Link (OISL) compatibility with the U.S. Space Development Agency (SDA)'s new NDSA. SAR data is a highly valuable asset for the SDA and the U.S. Department of Defense. The next generation of Capella's persistent SAR monitoring capabilities will leverage new technology that enables high delivery speeds and direct access to its 24/7 all-weather data for U.S. Government customers.

Capella Space will install optical communications terminals (OCTs) on its commercial SAR satellites, starting in late 2022. This will enable the company to utilize highly efficient laser communications technology to send and receive data to and from its satellites in low Earth orbit, relaying data to compatibly equipped government satellites and military operations on the ground. The integration of OCTs onto Capella's SAR constellation will drastically reduce latency from image collect to download and ensure spaceborne data is quickly available to inform critical decision-making for terrestrial missions.

"Our team at Capella Space is thrilled to become the first commercial SAR company to demonstrate compatibility with the SDA's National Defense Space Architecture and standards," said Christian Lenz, CTO at Capella Space. "Enabling our satellites to integrate with the new SDA architecture efficiently is a critical step for us to work seamlessly with the U.S. defense and intelligence sector. We are proud to be able to work with the SDA in demonstrating this cutting-edge technology."

Capella Space selected Mynaric's CONDOR Mk3 Optical Communications Terminal. The company chose Mynaric's technology following a thorough vetting process. Mynaric has previously demonstrated compatibility with the SDA systems and standards.

"We are honored to be selected as the optical communications terminal vendor for Capella Space's integration work with the SDA. The announcement today highlights the importance of standardization and compatibility within the industry," said Bulent Altan, CEO of Mynaric. "Our recently announced CONDOR Mk3 is fully compliant to the SDA's interoperability standard and a natural match for Capella's innovative approach integrating commercial capabilities with governmental customers."

Capella Space has partnered with a number of U.S. Department of Defense agencies, including the National Reconnaissance Office, U.S. Airforce, U.S. Army and the U.S. Space Force. The announcement follows a new Collaborative Research Agreement with the U.S. Army Space and Missile Technical Defense Center as well as the hiring of Amy Hopkins as Capella's new president and general manager of U.S. Government. Since officially launching commercial operations in January 2021, Capella's new innovations and the growth of its federal team positions it to serve U.S. Government customers with fast, direct access to reliable SAR data in order to solve challenges from tactical users to global policymaking.

To learn more about Capella Space's high-resolution data and offerings, please visit the Capella website.

To learn more about Mynaric's optical communications terminals, please visit the Mynaric website.

About Capella Space:
Capella Space is an information services company that provides on-demand 50cm high-resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR) Earth observation imagery. Through a constellation of small satellites, Capella provides easy access to frequent, timely and flexible information affecting dozens of industries worldwide. Capella's high-resolution SAR satellites are matched with unparalleled infrastructure to deliver reliable global insights that sharpen our understanding of the changing world – improving decisions about commerce, conservation and security on Earth. Learn more at www.capellaspace.com.

Capella Space Media Contact:
Alex Nelson
[email protected]

SOURCE Capella Space