Iceye and the United States Army have Formed a Research Collaboration Agreement

Iceye U.S., a subsidiary of the Finnish SAR (synthetic-aperture radar) satellite operator, has established a research and development collaboration agreement with the United States Army SNDTC (Space and Missile Defense Technical Center).”This agreement establishes a platform for the United States Army to evaluate flight-proven capabilities in the context of the United States Army’s next-generation technological projects,” Iceye U.S. CEO Jerry Welsh wrote in an email to SpaceNews.

Iceye and SMDTC will collaborate to investigate how the Army might benefit from access to SAR images and data under the terms of the agreement. To address various Army and Defense Department needs, the parties will collaboratively explore a wide range of problems, including SAR satellite tasking, SAR data downlink, picture processing, and image distribution.”The United States Army is searching for economical and adaptable SAR and other sophisticated sensor technologies to boost its multiple systems and operations,” said Col. Matt Anderson, the Space Directorate’s chief.

“High-quality, frequent-visit commercial SAR is very vital to us since it allows for day-night, all-weather imaging, and supplements national satellite systems.”Iceye has launched 14 commercial SAR satellites, making it the company with the biggest fleet of commercial SAR satellites. In 2022, the business intends to add at least ten satellites to its network.”We look forward to working closely with SMDTC as we give first-of-a-kind capabilities to a variety of US Army experiments and demonstrations,” said Iceye U.S. president Eric Jensen in a statement.

Government organizations in the United States, such as the National Reconnaissance Office and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, are growing more excited about the possible uses for SAR satellites, which collect pictures through clouds and darkness.