We are delighted to report that Seraphim portfolio company Iceye has successfully launched its first satellite.
This represents an important landmark not just for the company, but the earth observation industry as a whole. Iceye now has the accolade of having launched the world’s first miniaturised synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite.
Unlike typical optical-based imaging satellites, SAR satellites can image the earth in all conditions (i.e. through clouds) and at all times (i.e. including at night). Until now, SAR satellites have tended to be too large and expensive to build out a large enough constellation of satellites needed to image anywhere on the world every few hours.
Iceye’s unique feat is in having successfully miniaturised a SAR satellite to roughly 1/100th of the size and cost of a traditional SAR satellite. Iceye’s founders – Rafal and Pekka – as well as the wider Iceye team deserve enormous credit for having achieved something that many thought impossible.
With upwards of 70% of the earth either dark or cloudy at any given time, Iceye now stands on the cusp of being able for the first time to image / monitor the entire earth at all times and in all conditions.
There are exciting times ahead of the company, and we look forward to continuing to work with the Iceye team to deliver on Iceye’s tremendous potential.
ICEYE Successfully Launches World’s First SAR Microsatellite
