Capella Space Reveals First Light Imagery from Capella-17 “No Cloudy Days” Mission

On June 23, 2025, shortly after 2 PM ET, Capella Space proudly launched Capella-17, the “No Cloudy Days” mission, aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket as part of the Transporter-14 rideshare from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. This summer-themed launch marked another significant milestone, adding new Acadia-class (Gen 3) satellites to Capella's growing constellation. The successful deployment into a Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO) significantly enhances our global Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) capabilities, enabling us to deliver reliable, rapid, and actionable insights regardless of weather conditions.

Mission Overview: "No Cloudy Days"

The Capella-17 mission, aptly named “No Cloudy Days,” underscores the unique power of SAR technology and its unmatched ability to capture clear, detailed imagery through clouds, darkness, and adverse weather. Reflecting the spirit of summer, the mission patch, creatively designed by Vicarel Studios, features our iconic Capella Goat confidently sporting sunglasses, framed by parting clouds and radiant sunbeams. It’s a visual statement of clarity, confidence, and reliability in Earth observation. Check out the mission patch below.

Capella-17’s rapid and successful deployment highlights the teamwork and dedication across our engineering, operations, and mission control teams. Notably, we established initial satellite contact just 90 minutes after release from the Falcon 9 rocket—a new record for Capella. This incredible feat is thanks to ongoing advancements in automation that continue to improve speed and safety across every mission we undertake.

We’re excited to share first light SAR imagery from Capella-17, now available in our Open Data Gallery. To put our SAR technology to the test, we gathered imagery from some of the cloudiest and foggiest places on Earth. From Chongqing, China, and Lima, Peru—both frequently blanketed in dense cloud cover—to the Great Banks off Newfoundland, Iony Island in Russia, and Reykjavik, Iceland, known for persistent fog and overcast skies, we set out to prove there are no cloudy days with SAR. These areas, often inaccessible to traditional optical satellites, revealed just how powerful and dependable SAR technology can be.

The results? Crystal-clear, detailed imagery with higher-resolution and broader-swath capabilities, delivered at market-leading resolution levels. Our customers now have faster access to reliable insights, enhancing mission-critical decisions with reduced latency and improved accuracy.

Partnering with Orbion Space

Capella-17 was also the first mission to fly with a Hall-effect electric propulsion system from Orbion Space Technology. Orbion CEO and Co-founder Brad King notes, “We’re thrilled that Capella trusted us to propel their spacecraft. Both teams have enjoyed a relationship of deep collaboration, engineering rigor, and most importantly, a shared vision.” We’re excited to continue working with Orbion to refine our existing ability to maintain repeat ground track orbits to support InSAR analysis and coherent change detection.

Innovations in Satellite Automation

Capella continues to lead in automation and SAR data processing. Upcoming improvements will further elevate data quality, reduce latency, and expand constellation capacity. These advancements translate into real-world impact across sectors including intelligence, maritime monitoring, disaster response, and environmental management. Simply put, we’re empowering our customers with faster, smarter solutions. The “No Cloudy Days” mission marks another exciting step forward for Capella. Stay connected with us via social media and our website as we continue expanding our constellation and capabilities. Check out the first light imagery in our Open Data Gallery and keep an eye out for more mission updates.

No cloudy days. No limits.

A huge thank you to our customers, partners, and the Capella community for your continued support, collaboration, and enthusiasm. Together, we’re redefining the possibilities of global Earth observation.