ICEYE and IHI unite to boost Japan’s satellite capabilities
The Polish-Finnish company ICEYE has partnered with the Japanese company IHI Corporation, which specializes in heavy industry. Their goal is to create a constellation of SAR satellites for both civilian and military use. Here's what capabilities Japan will gain.
The planned constellation, consisting of up to 24 satellites, aims to provide observational data for the military, public administration, and commercial sectors. The cooperation agreement was signed during the DSEI Japan defense trade show, held biennially at Makuhari Messe near Tokyo.
As part of the collaboration, IHI and ICEYE plan to establish a satellite production facility in Japan to meet the country's needs. This initiative aims to support Japan's space ambitions by developing the industry and enhancing national security. The undertaking still requires the finalization of agreements and official approvals.
The CEOs of both companies commented on the event.
SAR satellites — peeking where optical satellites cannot
Observational satellites can be divided into two main groups. The first group includes optical satellites, which can take very high-resolution images, including infrared. However, their operation is limited by atmospheric conditions such as dense clouds.
The second category includes satellites using SAR technology, which employ radar to produce high-resolution images, even through clouds. These images perfectly reproduce the shapes of objects, although they sometimes require support from traditional satellite images.
The MikroSAR satellites from ICEYE are structures weighing between 220 to 440 pounds, equipped with an X-band radar. In addition to identifying areas covered by clouds, this type of satellite can distinguish decoys from real machines based on differences in the radar signatures of the materials used.
