Electronically steered radar payload
A radar sensor for satellites that steers its beam electronically, letting one spacecraft image wide areas and follow moving vehicles day or night through clouds.
Why it matters
Militaries want to track moving targets from space continuously, and radar can see through weather and smoke. Making the radar cheap enough to fly on many small satellites is what makes frequent revisits possible.
How the technology works
Instead of turning the antenna, the radar shifts its beam electronically, so it can jump between targets in an instant. It builds sharp images from radar echoes as the satellite moves, can compare passes to spot ground changes as small as millimeters, and can pick out vehicles that are moving.
Sources
Updated Oct 22, 2026 · How we source facts · Suggest a correction