The biggest thing in aerospace these days is the trend toward small things, from small satellites to small satellite launch vehicles like those under development by Rocket Lab, Virgin Galactic, and Vector Space Systems. Now a new microsatellite company, ICEYE, says it is moving forward with development and deployment of its synthetic-aperture radar technology.

On Wednesday morning, the Finland-based company will announce that it has raised $13 million in a new round of funding led by Draper Nexus, including investments from space capital firms such as True Ventures, Lifeline Ventures, Space Angels, and Draper Associates. Since its founding in 2015, the company has raised $18.7 million.

In an interview with Ars, the company's chief executive and cofounder, Rafal Modrzewski, said ICEYE plans to launch its technology within the next 12 months. It intends to begin the launch of a full constellation by 2019. "For the first two years we were mainly a technology company, and we were working with customers to find their needs," he said. "Now we have matured the idea."

Crops and plane crashes

In contrast to optical instruments on most Earth orbiting satellites that image the planet, ICEYE uses synthetic-aperture radar technology. Their satellites will use the motion of a radar antenna, combined with the time the device travels over a target, to create multi-dimensional images of the surface even through clouds. The "synthetic" part of the antenna is due to the fact that a small antenna moving over a large distance can create a large, synthetic aperture. The satellites are about the size of a mini-refrigerator.

Modrzewski acknowledged that government satellites can produce better, more comprehensive images and data. But the launch of low-cost satellites, with intuitive user interfaces that can configure the satellites to meet the specific needs of customers, brings value. "We’re building something slightly less-capable, that's smaller, cheaper, and globally capable," he said.

In theory, a user could open a Web browser, select an area on Earth, and have the constellation image that area in near-real time. With data sets overlaying the satellite imagery, for example, a farmer might obtain a harvest projection from the moisture in the soil, or an insurer might use the data to verify losses. The technology might also have applications for nighttime plane crashes, volcanic eruptions, or avalanches, to name a few scenarios, Modrzewski said.

Previously, ICEYE and Vector Space Systems have announced a contract for 21 launches to be conducted over a four-year period, likely beginning in 2018. The microsatellites will be capable of launching on other small satellite rockets as well.