ICEYE to launch new SAR satellite later this month

Earth observation company ICEYE is set to launch its second synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) satellite into space on 19 November from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, US.

The new ICEYE-X2 satellite is expected to be launched onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as part of Spaceflight’s SSO-A: SmallSat Express mission.

The ICEYE-X2 has already completed all the tests and been transported to the launch site. It is developed to further improve ICEYE’s SAR imaging technology.

The upcoming launch follows the successful launch of ICEYE’s first satellite, ICEYE-X1, earlier this year. Launched aboard India’s PSLV-C40 rocket, the ICEYE-X1 has so far collected more than 600 images.

ICEYE CEO and co-founder Rafal Modrzewski said: “The commercial satellite industry is changing and moving toward improved collaboration between new space and traditional companies, but it’s also speeding up collaboration between various space programmes of governments such as between Finland and Poland.”

By the end of next year, ICEYE intends to deploy a total of eight additional satellites into orbit.

Spaceflight’s new dedicated rideshare mission SSO-A will see the launch of ICEYE-X2 into a Sun-synchronous low-Earth orbit, along with more than 60 satellites from 34 entities worldwide.

Spaceflight business development vice-president Melissa Wuerl said: “Spaceflight’s SSO-A mission has the unique opportunity of launching a record-breaking number of smallsats from a US-based launch vehicle, ICEYE-X2 being one of them.

“We are eager about the technological advancements coming out of the smallsat industry.”

In a separate development, Spaceflight announced that it would arrange the launch of 12 satellites within this month, using the PSLV C43 rocket.

The launch will comprise Fleet Space Technologies’ Centauri I, Harris’ HSAT, Spire’s LEMUR satellites, and BlackSky’s Global-1 microsatellite.