# Capella X-band SAR
*sensor . products*

X-band synthetic-aperture radar payload flown across Capella Space satellites.

## Specifications
- **product status**: operational
- **deployment context**: orbital
- **manufacturer**: capella-space
- **sensor**: {"instrument_family":"sar","measurement_principle":"active","frequency_band":"X","centre_frequency_mhz":9650,"chirp_bandwidth_mhz":600,"polarisation_modes":["HH","VV"],"incidence_angle_range_deg":[5,50],"modes":[{"name":"Spotlight Ultra","resolution_range_m":0.25,"resolution_azimuth_m":0.25,"swath_km":5,"polarisation":"single-pol HH or VV"},{"name":"Spotlight","resolution_range_m":0.25,"resolution_azimuth_m":0.5,"swath_km":5,"polarisation":"single-pol HH or VV"},{"name":"Sliding Spotlight","polarisation":"single-pol HH or VV"},{"name":"Stripmap","polarisation":"single-pol HH or VV"}],"notes":"Operator support documents specify X-band 9.4-9.9 GHz, up to 600 MHz bandwidth, HH/VV single-pol and spotlight/sliding spotlight/stripmap collection modes."}
- **entity type**: sensor
- **last verified date**: 2026-06-16
- **verified by**: operator
- **claim status**: claimed
- **provider**: capella-space
- **attributes**: {"kind":"sensor","product_status":"operational","deployment_context":"orbital","manufacturer":"capella-space","description":"X-band synthetic-aperture radar payload flown across Capella Space satellites.","sensor":"{\"instrument_family\":\"sar\",\"measurement_principle\":\"active\",\"frequency_band\":\"X\",\"centre_frequency_mhz\":9650,\"chirp_bandwidth_mhz\":600,\"polarisation_modes\":[\"HH\",\"VV\"],\"incidence_angle_range_deg\":[5,50],\"modes\":[{\"name\":\"Spotlight Ultra\",\"resolution_range_m\":0.25,\"resolution_azimuth_m\":0.25,\"swath_km\":5,\"polarisation\":\"single-pol HH or VV\"},{\"name\":\"Spotlight\",\"resolution_range_m\":0.25,\"resolution_azimuth_m\":0.5,\"swath_km\":5,\"polarisation\":\"single-pol HH or VV\"},{\"name\":\"Sliding Spotlight\",\"polarisation\":\"single-pol HH or VV\"},{\"name\":\"Stripmap\",\"polarisation\":\"single-pol HH or VV\"}],\"notes\":\"Operator support documents specify X-band 9.4-9.9 GHz, up to 600 MHz bandwidth, HH/VV single-pol and spotlight/sliding spotlight/stripmap collection modes.\"}"}
- **relevance**: in-scope

## Editorial
Capella X-band SAR is an active X-band synthetic-aperture radar payload family used on Capella orbital SAR satellites, with Capella Space as the current operator and provider.[^capella-sensor-support] The family is specified for 9.4-9.9 GHz operation, up to 600 MHz chirp bandwidth, single-polarisation HH or VV collection, and standard 15-50 degree look angles within a full 5-50 degree access range.[^capella-sensor-support]

Supported collection classes include Spotlight, Sliding Spotlight and Stripmap, and Capella's SAR data material specifies Spotlight Ultra products at 0.25 m azimuth and 0.25 m slant-range resolution over a 5 km collection width.[^capella-sar-data] The payload has demonstrated SAR backscatter use through Capella collections and InSAR surface-deformation use in the Capella SAR mission family.[^capella-sensor-support][^wmo-capella-sar]

Heritage records retain narrower values for older configurations: WMO records single-polarisation HH, and CEOS records 500 MHz bandwidth, while the current Capella specification gives HH or VV and up to 600 MHz.[^wmo-capella-sar][^ceos-capella-xsar][^capella-sensor-support] That distinction is buyer-relevant when comparing Sequoia-era references with current Capella archive and tasking support.[^capella-sensor-support]

## Compositional position
- capella-space (missions) --[mission_payloads]--> Capella X-band SAR

## Sources
- [capella-sensor-support] | Capella support: SAR sensor characteristics | https://support.capellaspace.com/what-types-of-sensors-do-capellas-satellites-use | tier=operator-datasheet | accessed=2026-06-16 | published=2025-05-13
- [capella-sar-data] | Capella SAR data product and collection modes | https://www.capellaspace.com/solution/sar-data | tier=operator-marketing | accessed=2026-06-16
- [wmo-capella-sar] | Capella SAR instrument record, WMO OSCAR | https://space.oscar.wmo.int/instruments/view/capella_sar | tier=agency-doc | accessed=2026-06-16
- [ceos-capella-xsar] | Capella X-SAR instrument summary, CEOS database | https://database.eohandbook.com/database/instrumentsummary.aspx?instrumentID=1983 | tier=agency-doc | accessed=2026-06-16

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Source: https://eo-atlas.org/products/sensor/capella-sar
Maintainer: SpectraWorks B.V. (CC-BY 4.0)