A Homer Street startup is developing next-generation synthetic-aperture radar satellites to deliver a new level of geospatial intelligence.
Vancouver-based SpaceAlpha Insights is a pioneer in the emerging “NewSpace” sector of private industry targeting the cosmos.
The firm is “working to unlock a new era of geospatial intelligence by providing next-gen Earth Observation solutions with SAR-XL satellite technology,” according to its website.
Alpha believes that its SAR-XL will deliver “unprecedented global insights for missions related to environmental and maritime monitoring, logistics, and more.”
With SAR-XL technology, “the X and L bands work simultaneously to capture richer data,” the space upstart explains online: “It’s entirely software defined, with a large phased array antenna that forms and steers the digital beams.”
In-orbit processing detects objects immediately, with ultra-high-res images captured and delivered in realtime. Data can be processed on-board the spacecraft using an artificial intelligence platform, the company says, with near-zero latency monitoring and object classification capabilities.
Among other applications, SAR-XL can offer a bigger, clearer picture of shifting environmental patterns around the globe.
From flood and wildfire management to optimized agriculture, SAR-XL is “designed to cover immense swaths of land.” From wetlands and habitat changes to deforestation and biomass estimation, land can be classified and mapped, while identifying vegetation type, biomass, soil moisture content, and more, Alpha says.
Sea level fluctuation can also be measured to the millimetre, the company claims.
SpaceAlpha was recently named one of Canada’s most innovative startups.
Selected by a committee of global investors, the Canadian Innovation Exchange’s annual CIX Top 20 Early and Top 10 Growth Awards celebrate the remarkable achievements of Canadian tech companies at both early and growth stages.
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