Iceye US has firmly put its stamp on satellite production in Irvine.
The company made two of the satellites recently launched into orbit as part of an interacting group of spacecraft—called a constellation—used to keep an eye on planet Earth.
Iceye specializes in synthetic aperture radar satellites (SAR), which have the science fiction-like quality of being able to see through clouds and darkness of night, as well as daylight to provide high-resolution images.
The satellites provide information to government and business in areas such as insurance, natural catastrophe response and recovery, maritime, national security, humanitarian relief, and climate change monitoring, including coastal erosion and waterway hazards.
Iceye says it owns the world’s largest synthetic-aperture radar satellite constellation.
The local firm, a subsidiary of Finnish company Iceye, says more Irvine-made satellites are on the way.
“We’re making investments in capital equipment. We’re making investments in the local supply chain and vendor base,” Iceye US CEO Eric Jensen told the Business Journal on June 14.
“Orange County is a fantastic place to build a business.”
Constellation Coverage
“We are completely vertically integrated,” Jensen said, with the company making the satellites, getting them launched by a company such as Elon Musk’s SpaceX and operating them.
A constellation works together as a group to provide continuous coverage from outer space, in what Iceye calls “persistent monitoring.”
The company’s spacecraft themselves are roughly the size of a dishwasher.
Iceye opened the Irvine production facility a little over two years ago.
Low Orbit
Iceye’s satellites fly in what is called low Earth orbit (LEO), which is normally an altitude of less than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) above Earth but can be as low as 160 kilometers, according to the European Space Agency. LEO spacecraft are becoming increasingly popular as satellites enjoy explosive growth.
Iceye US is just one of the many OC companies taking to the skies and beyond for future growth.
Others include fellow satellite maker Terran Orbital Corp. (Nasdaq: LLAP), which has most of its operations in Irvine.
NASA, JPL
Iceye works with NASA, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena and the National Reconnaissance Office, which is a key part of the U.S. intelligence apparatus.
Iceye has deployed 27 satellites since 2018, including both commercially available and dedicated customer missions. Iceye plans to launch four additional SAR satellites in 2023.
Jensen said customers are spread across four major sectors: intelligence, defense, civil and commercial, including agriculture.
Jensen said the company now has close to 30 employees in Irvine.
He added that a total of six satellites built at the Irvine facility have been launched into space.
Parent company Iceye, based in Espoo, Finland, had raised $304 million in financing as of February 2022.
Seraphim Space is a long-term investor, while new strategic investors include BAE Systems, Kajima Ventures, Molten Ventures and OTB Ventures.
