New SAR Satellite Offers 16cm Resolution
ICEYE Launches High-Performance Gen4 Satellite for Commercial Operations
The latest generation of ICEYE SAR Satellites is now available for commercial operations. The Gen4 satellites delivery SAR imagery of up to 16 cm (≈6 inch) resolution, extends the high-resolution field of regard to 400 km (≈250 miles), and enables more images per orbital pass for faster coverage of priority areas of interest (AOIs), the company says.
"After years of dedicated research and innovation, we are proud to announce that our next-generation satellite, Gen4, is now commercially available.”
Rafal Modrzewski, ICEYE
With this stated increase in coverage and optimized design, each Gen4 satellite can capture up to 500 images per day, with up to half concentrated within a 2,000-km-wide (≈1,250 mile) region per orbit. Imaging and downlink can occur simultaneously at up to 700 Mbps, enabling tasking, acquisition, and delivery within the same pass for near real-time monitoring.
A larger and more powerful antenna delivers a stronger signal and sharper detail. This advancement is a key feature of the new Gen4 satellite, which expands high-resolution imaging coverage by 250% – from 150 km to 400 km (≈93-250 miles). This allows a single satellite to monitor a vast area of interest, such as an entire naval task force or a major land border crossing in a single pass while accelerating revisits over time-sensitive targets.
The result is improved image quality, providing sharper insights and higher confidence. This enhanced imagery further improves ICEYE's Detect & Classify product, which combines its high-resolution SAR imagery with advanced artificial intelligence to automatically detect and classify vessels, aircraft, and vehicles with better than 90% accuracy.
"After years of dedicated research and innovation, we are proud to announce that our next-generation satellite, Gen4, is now commercially available. This marks a significant step forward in delivering more images, sharper, faster, and more flexible to our customers worldwide," said Rafal Modrzewski, co-founder and CEO of ICEYE. "Gen4 is not only a technological leap; it's a clear example of how ICEYE continues to push the boundaries of the SAR satellite industry. It's a game-changer for how governments, as well as defense and intelligence users, can see, understand, and respond to events around the globe."
The first wave of Gen4 satellites were launched as part of the SpaceX TR13 mission in March this year. For national customers and governments, Gen4 can be purchased as a fully sovereign capability that is not subject to ITAR control. ICEYE delivers the Gen4 satellite as part of a complete, secure system that can be launched, deployed, and operated within 12 months, including ground segment, comprehensive training and continuous software updates.