ICEYE has launched six new synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites, expanding its constellation to support both commercial operations and national programs in Poland and Portugal.
With a ground resolution of 25 centimeters (9.8 inches), the satellites were deployed aboard the Transporter-16 launch operated by SpaceX from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, with integration handled by Exolaunch.
All six satellites have established communication and are undergoing commissioning.
The deployment aims to increase imaging capacity, enabling more frequent observations and persistent monitoring regardless of weather or lighting conditions.
According to the Finnish company, demand for near real-time space-based intelligence continues to grow, particularly for defense and security use.
“ICEYE protects sovereign nations from space. The era of relying on a single, expensive satellite for national security is ending,” stated CEO Rafal Modrzewski.
“Governments now understand that resilient constellations of many satellites are what give them real intelligence advantage, with answers in minutes instead of days.”
ICEYE’s Programs
The newly deployed satellites are allocated across a mix of commercial and government-linked programs, reflecting ICEYE’s model of combining proprietary capacity with national missions.
Part of the capacity supports the company’s US-based operations, expanding access to SAR imagery for institutional and government customers.
In Poland, the satellites support the MikroSAR program, a ministry of defense initiative to build sovereign space-based intelligence capabilities.
The program includes both satellites and ground infrastructure to support near real-time intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) for the Polish Armed Forces.
In Portugal, the deployment is linked to CTI Aeroespacial, involving the Portuguese Air Force and national industrial partners.
It forms part of the Atlantic Constellation, a broader effort to develop a network of small Earth observation satellites for both civilian applications and defense-related ISR, while strengthening national space infrastructure.
