Capella Space has formed Capella Federal, a wholly-owned subsidiary that enables the company to further support the U.S. government and defense agency customers by providing expanded access to its Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery with increased security and continued on-demand reliability.
Capella Space has worked closely with the public sector since inception, having previously signed contracts with the National Reconnaissance Office, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, U.S. Space Force and others. Capella Federal enables the company to further expand its work with U.S. government customers and opens the door to new partnership opportunities.
Capella Federal tailors the delivery of SAR imagery specifically to meet the heightened security and facility clearance needs of its U.S. government, defense, and intelligence customers at a larger scale. With Capella’s technology, government agencies can gather data and images of Earth in any weather, any time of day or night. The increased specialized access allows them to continue to have eyes on the ground, informing mission-critical decisions around national security and enabling greater global transparency.
Capella Space also expanded its Government Advisory Board to include several new members who bring decades of military and intelligence experience. Retired Army Lieutenant General and former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), Robert P. Ashley Jr., will serve as the Government Advisory Board Chair. Ashley joins existing members that include former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Space Policy, Douglas Loverro; Former Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Space) Gil Klinger; and Former Director of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) Jeffrey Harris.
Additionally, this news comes on the heels of Capella Space closing a $60 million growth equity financing round from the U.S. Innovative Technology Fund to expand satellite imaging capacity and meet rapidly growing customer demand.
“Since the inception of Capella Space, and especially in the wake of the ongoing Ukraine crisis, we’ve seen significant demand from our U.S. government customers to utilize Capella’s SAR capabilities,” said Payam Banazadeh, Capella Space CEO and Founder. “Capella Federal will allow for that continued support and will provide some of our most valued customers with the necessary tools to make critical, potentially life-saving decisions.”
Eric Traupe, retired United States Marine Infantry Officer and former Assistant Director of the Central Intelligence Agency for the Near East, will serve as President of Capella Federal. Over the past three decades, Traupe has tackled the full range of U.S. national security issues, including serving on the front lines of the U.S. counter-terrorism fight in the CIA’s paramilitary ranks. Traupe joins an already impressive leadership team including Vice President and General Manager, Amy Hopkins, who has been overseeing Capella’s government work since joining the company in late 2021.
“Over the course of my career, I’ve experienced firsthand the importance of having access to secure, reliable and timely earth observation data,” said Traupe. “Capella’s technology has proven its potential to revolutionize the way our U.S. military collects and analyzes space data. I’m honored to serve as President of Capella Federal to lead the critical support of our U.S. government customers.”
Clayton Hutmacher, former Director of Operations in the U.S. Special Operation Command, will serve as Chairman of the Capella Federal Board of Directors and will also participate as a member of the Capella Space Government Advisory Board. Hutmacher completed more than 40 years of government service and is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.