ICEYE, a start-up based in Helsinki, Finland that is developing microsatellites with unique synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) technology, announced the successful launch of its first satellite on a proof-of-concept mission.
The 70-kg ICEYE-X1 satellite was carried into orbit on ISRO’s PSLV-C40 rocket launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in India.
The launch marks the world’s first microsatellite equipped with synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) to ever be deployed in space. It is also Finland’s very first commercial satellite.
“ICEYE has been committed to enabling better decision making for everyone with Earth observation capabilities, and now through this new SAR data source, we are closer than ever to unlocking that potential across many different industries,” said Rafal Modrzewski, CEO and co-founder of ICEYE. “I am extremely proud of the ICEYE team who have now, for the first time in the world, opened up the possibilities of the miniaturization of SAR satellite technology. With the support from the Finnish and European communities, Aalto University, Tekes, Horizon 2020, all of our investors, our extremely talented advisors, and so many more who’ve supported us, we have been able to achieve this crucial milestone.”
ICEYE has at least two additional proof-of-concept satellite missions planned for 2018. These first three initial missions will be conducted through different launch providers. Once testing is completed, ICEYE plans to launch a constellation of more than 18 SAR-enabled microsatellites to bring reliable high-temporal-resolution imaging to the market. ICEYE’s constellation, once fully deployed, will allow users to accurately image any point on Earth within only a few hours, regardless of weather or darkness.
