SAN FRANCISCO – Capella Space, a radar satellite startup, announced an agreement Dec. 4 making Remote Sensing Instruments (RSI) of India Capella’s exclusive reseller in that nation and giving RSI non-exclusive reseller rights for the rest of Southeast Asia.
“Satellite imagery and remote sensing is global by nature and we plan to be very active in international markets outside of the United States,” Payam Banazadeh, Capella CEO and Founder, said by email. “We will be announcing more global partnerships over the next six months as we build our global presence and prepare for the commencement of our commercial services in 2020.”
Because each regions Capella is targeting has different sales and marketing processes, the firm will establish partnerships with companies around the world that can help it reach local customers, he added.
San Francisco-based Capella launched its first synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite in 2018, a technology demonstration. The firm plans to begin offering imagery and data from its first commercial SAR satellite scheduled to launch in the first quarter of 2020. Capella plans to follow that up with the launch of six satellites in the second half of 2020 as it builds a constellation of 36 satellites offering X-band SAR data for commercial and government applications, according to the Dec. 4 announcement.
“India is one of the most advanced users of satellite remote sensing technology for use in disaster management, urban development, natural resources, environmental monitoring and national security,” RSI CEO Kumar VR Buragadda said in a statement. “Currently, commercial and government customers don’t have access to on-demand SAR data, which is invaluable for a range of applications — especially disaster management. After evaluating all the SAR providers, we chose to work with Capella Space due to its unrivaled technology, near real-time data delivery, highest resolution of SAR imagery commercially available and its commitment to customer service. Capella stands apart by addressing the needs of commercial and government customers in India.”
Banazadeh said Capella was eager to work with RSI because the 34-year-old firm “has deep connections and on-the-ground experience working with remote sensing data in India.”