WASHINGTON — Capella Space, a Colorado-based satellite imagery company, said it created a wholly owned subsidiary called Capella Federal to help meet the “heightened security and facility clearance needs” of U.S. government customers.
“The new entity enables the company to further support its U.S. government and defense agency customers by providing expanded access to its synthetic aperture radar imagery with increased security and continued on-demand reliability,” the company said in a Jan. 31 statement.
Capella’s synthetic aperture radar satellites rely on radar rather than electro-optical sensors to capture imagery from space. The technology allows the satellites to see through inclement whether and at night and collect data like moisture content, elevation and precise movement. The capability has been in high demand from the U.S. Department of Defense and the intelligence community and has provided key insights into Russian troop movements in Ukraine.
Capella Federal will build on its parent company’s work with the National Reconnaissance Office, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, U.S. Space Force and other customers, it said.
“Capella Federal will allow for that continued support and will provide some of our most valuable customers with the necessary tools to make critical, potentially life-saving decisions,” Capella Space CEO Payam Banazedeh said in a statement.
Eric Traupe, a former CIA official, will serve as president of Capella Federal.
Courtney Albon is C4ISRNET’s space and emerging technology reporter. She has covered the U.S. military since 2012, with a focus on the Air Force and Space Force. She has reported on some of the Defense Department’s most significant acquisition, budget and policy challenges.
