# Capella-3

> American synthetic aperture radar satellite

**Wikidata**: [Q124124120](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q124124120)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/capella-3

## Summary
Capella-3 is an American synthetic-aperture-radar (SAR) imaging satellite launched on 24 January 2021 as part of Capella Space’s Whitney constellation. Built and operated by Capella Space, it was lofted by a SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5 from Cape Canaveral and is catalogued under COSPAR ID 2021-006CE.

## Key Facts
- Launch date: 24 January 2021  
- Launch vehicle: SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5  
- Launch site: Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 40  
- Country of origin: United States  
- Operator & manufacturer: Capella Space  
- Constellation: Capella-SAR (Whitney series)  
- Predecessor: Capella-2  
- Successor: Capella-4  
- Also known as: Whitney-1  
- COSPAR ID: 2021-006CE  
- NORAD catalog no. (SCN): 47489  

## FAQs
### Q: What kind of satellite is Capella-3?
A: Capella-3 is a commercial synthetic-aperture-radar (SAR) satellite that can image Earth’s surface day-or-night and through clouds.

### Q: When and how was Capella-3 launched?
A: It was launched on 24 January 2021 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket from Cape Canaveral’s Space Launch Complex 40.

### Q: Who owns and operates Capella-3?
A: The satellite is both built and operated by Capella Space, a U.S. aerospace company headquartered in San Francisco.

## Why It Matters
Capella-3 is the first operational Whitney-class SAR satellite in Capella Space’s commercial fleet, marking the company’s shift from demonstration missions to routine, high-revisit Earth imaging. By deploying a radar payload in a small-satellite form factor, Capella-3 proved that sub-meter SAR imagery could be delivered cost-effectively to defense, intelligence, and commercial customers on an hourly basis. Its successful commissioning validated Capella’s standardized satellite bus and paved the way for the rapid deployment of follow-on craft such as Capella-4, enabling persistent, all-weather monitoring of critical sites anywhere on the planet.

## Notable For
- First operational Whitney-series SAR satellite for Capella Space  
- Demonstrated low-cost, high-resolution radar imaging from a small satellite  
- Part of the 2021 “Transporter-1” rideshare that set a record for most satellites on a single mission (143 payloads)  
- Immediate predecessor/successor relationship clearly established: follows Capella-2, followed by Capella-4  

## Body
### Mission Overview
Capella-3, also designated Whitney-1, is the third spacecraft and first operational member of Capella Space’s SAR constellation. It was inserted into a Sun-synchronous orbit during SpaceX’s Transporter-1 rideshare flight on 24 January 2021.

### Technical Context
The satellite belongs to the “synthetic aperture radar satellite” class, a subset of radar satellites that use motion to create high-resolution images. Capella-3’s bus and SAR payload were both manufactured by Capella Space, leveraging the company’s standardized 100-kg-class platform.

### Launch Details
- Launch vehicle: Falcon 9 Block 5 (SpaceX)  
- Launch pad: Cape Canaveral SLC-40  
- COSPAR ID: 2021-006CE  
- NORAD SCN: 47489  

### Constellation Placement
Capella-3 is an element of the Capella-SAR constellation, occupying the slot immediately after Capella-2 and before Capella-4, establishing a clear sequence for fleet expansion.

## Schema Markup
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  "@type": "Thing",
  "name": "Capella-3",
  "alternateName": "Whitney-1",
  "description": "American synthetic-aperture-radar imaging satellite launched in January 2021 by Capella Space.",
  "sameAs": ["https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q104837673"],
  "additionalType": "https://schema.org/Satellite"
}