SAR Satellite Intelligence

Capella Space emerged from early H4D pilots at Stanford, where the founding team tackled the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency's challenge around real-time Earth observation. What began as a student project addressing satellite tasking delays and government latency requirements evolved into a comprehensive synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging solution that operates entirely from space.

Current Mission

Capella operates its own constellation of SAR satellites to provide hourly, all-weather imagery of anywhere on Earth. Unlike traditional optical satellites limited by weather and daylight, Capella's SAR technology penetrates clouds and operates in complete darkness, delivering persistent revisit imaging that government and commercial customers can task on-demand.

Scale and Impact

The company has raised $239 million from investors including DCVC, NightDragon, and the US Innovative Technology Fund. Under founder and former CEO Payam Banazadeh's leadership, Capella built and deployed multiple satellites while securing contracts with both government agencies and commercial clients requiring real-time geospatial intelligence.

Defense Innovation Legacy

Capella's trajectory from H4D student project to operational satellite constellation demonstrates how direct engagement with defense challenges can spawn entirely new commercial markets. The team's early NGA relationships, developed through the H4D structure and Lean Startup methodology, provided both problem validation and initial contract pathways. Today, Capella continues serving government intelligence requirements while expanding SAR imaging applications across agriculture, maritime monitoring, and disaster response—proving that defense innovation can create dual-use technologies with broad commercial impact.