In a further indicator of the growing use of satellite technology to assess exposures to extreme weather events, ICEYE, a provider of natural catastrophe solutions and insights, has expanded its constellation with four new synthetic aperture radar satellites.
The launch on SpaceX’s Transporter-9 smallsat rideshare mission via Exolaunch was conducted from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, USA.
According to the announcement, each spacecraft has successfully established communications and is undergoing routine early operations.
Moreover, ICEYE has now deployed 31 satellites since 2018, underscoring the company’s position as a leader in SAR satellite technology.
The launch of the four third-generation satellites also builds on earlier advancements in imaging capabilities. This includes Spot Fine mode, which delivers 50cm native ground resolution, as well as Dwell mode, which uses advanced collection techniques to consistently determine changes happening on the ground in near real-time.
In addition, the company’s latest launch includes next-generation satellites built and operated by teams based in Europe and in the US.
Rafal Modrzewski, CEO and Co-founder of ICEYE, said: “This launch and deployment is more than just additional satellites for our constellation; it’s a testament to our pursuit of excellence for our technologies in support of our customers.
“We are fielding a resilient constellation with increased revisit rates and cutting-edge capabilities to meet the high-tempo imagery requirements of our most demanding customers.”
John Cartwright, Head of Data Product at ICEYE, commented: “ICEYE customers around the globe have seemingly unending demand for our persistent, high-resolution satellite imaging capacity. Our customers use ICEYE imagery for actionable information and high-confidence decision-making. This is our third satellite launch during 2023, which shows our commitment to building and operating the largest SAR satellite constellation to date.”
Stephen Lathrope, Senior Vice President, Solutions at ICEYE, added: “We are seeing a significant uptick in demand for hazard data across both the (re)insurance and emergency response sectors. Through the continued expansion of ICEYE’s New Space satellite constellation, we are able to target disaster events anywhere in the world more rapidly to deliver reliable, consistent, and accurate information in near real-time which is proving to be transformational for our clients.”
Adding: “The continued increase in the frequency and severity of natural catastrophes means that rapid access to high-resolution hazard insights will become ever more critical. This latest satellite launch will boost not only the effectiveness of our current solutions, but also facilitate the development of powerful new capabilities as ICEYE looks to play a more prominent data role in empowering the (re)insurance sector and emergency response agencies to respond more robustly to this escalating risk environment.”
