DARPA Selects Umbra to Advance to Phase II of its DRIFT Program

DARPA Selects Umbra to Advance to Phase II of its DRIFT Program

Umbra, a vertically integrated space technology company, has been selected by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to progress to Phase II of the Distributed Radar Image Formation Technology (DRIFT) program. This significant milestone underscores Umbra's pivotal role in advancing cutting-edge capabilities for DARPA's mission to create breakthrough technologies for national security.

The DRIFT program leverages data from multiple Umbra Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites flown in formation, paving the way for the development of groundbreaking processing algorithms. These U.S. capability advancements in formation flying and joint collection techniques are a testament to Umbra's expertise in remote sensing space systems and its commitment to pushing the boundaries of innovation.

Phase II entails a comprehensive multi-month collection campaign, during which Umbra's SAR satellites will generate bistatic and multistatic datasets for further analysis by DARPA and its partner contractors in the DRIFT program. At the culmination of Phase II, Umbra will conduct an on-orbit demonstration showcasing the multistatic capabilities it has developed.

Jason Mallare, Vice President of Global Solutions at Umbra, expressed his enthusiasm, stating, "We're grateful to contribute to DARPA's vision, leveraging top-tier U.S. capabilities for asymmetric advantage. Umbra's differentiated technology and relentless focus on tech evolution drive us forward. We're excited about the future this technology and similar capabilities hold for Umbra and the nation."

In March, Umbra released bistatic imagery from its tandem satellites. With six satellites currently in orbit, Umbra plans to deploy the remaining satellites in its licensed 32-satellite constellation in strategically designed pairs.

With the unique ability to capture images at day/night, all-weather capable, Umbra's SAR satellites are indispensable for monitoring change. Umbra's satellites deliver the highest quality SAR data at unprecedented volumes and area density, enabling the U.S. Government, its allies, and commercial partners with actionable, all-weather insights.

Click here to learn more about Umbra's Mission Solutions.

Publisher: SatNow
Tags:-  SatelliteLaunchGround

GNSS Constellations - A list of all GNSS satellites by constellations

beidou

Satellite NameOrbit Date
BeiDou-3 G4Geostationary Orbit (GEO)17 May, 2023
BeiDou-3 G2Geostationary Orbit (GEO)09 Mar, 2020
Compass-IGSO7Inclined Geosynchronous Orbit (IGSO)09 Feb, 2020
BeiDou-3 M19Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)16 Dec, 2019
BeiDou-3 M20Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)16 Dec, 2019
BeiDou-3 M21Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)23 Nov, 2019
BeiDou-3 M22Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)23 Nov, 2019
BeiDou-3 I3Inclined Geosynchronous Orbit (IGSO)04 Nov, 2019
BeiDou-3 M23Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)22 Sep, 2019
BeiDou-3 M24Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)22 Sep, 2019

galileo

Satellite NameOrbit Date
GSAT0223MEO - Near-Circular05 Dec, 2021
GSAT0224MEO - Near-Circular05 Dec, 2021
GSAT0219MEO - Near-Circular25 Jul, 2018
GSAT0220MEO - Near-Circular25 Jul, 2018
GSAT0221MEO - Near-Circular25 Jul, 2018
GSAT0222MEO - Near-Circular25 Jul, 2018
GSAT0215MEO - Near-Circular12 Dec, 2017
GSAT0216MEO - Near-Circular12 Dec, 2017
GSAT0217MEO - Near-Circular12 Dec, 2017
GSAT0218MEO - Near-Circular12 Dec, 2017

glonass

Satellite NameOrbit Date
Kosmos 2569--07 Aug, 2023
Kosmos 2564--28 Nov, 2022
Kosmos 2559--10 Oct, 2022
Kosmos 2557--07 Jul, 2022
Kosmos 2547--25 Oct, 2020
Kosmos 2545--16 Mar, 2020
Kosmos 2544--11 Dec, 2019
Kosmos 2534--27 May, 2019
Kosmos 2529--03 Nov, 2018
Kosmos 2527--16 Jun, 2018

gps

Satellite NameOrbit Date
Navstar 82Medium Earth Orbit19 Jan, 2023
Navstar 81Medium Earth Orbit17 Jun, 2021
Navstar 78Medium Earth Orbit22 Aug, 2019
Navstar 77Medium Earth Orbit23 Dec, 2018
Navstar 76Medium Earth Orbit05 Feb, 2016
Navstar 75Medium Earth Orbit31 Oct, 2015
Navstar 74Medium Earth Orbit15 Jul, 2015
Navstar 73Medium Earth Orbit25 Mar, 2015
Navstar 72Medium Earth Orbit29 Oct, 2014
Navstar 71Medium Earth Orbit02 Aug, 2014

irnss

Satellite NameOrbit Date
NVS-01Geostationary Orbit (GEO)29 May, 2023
IRNSS-1IInclined Geosynchronous Orbit (IGSO)12 Apr, 2018
IRNSS-1HSub Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (Sub-GTO)31 Aug, 2017
IRNSS-1GGeostationary Orbit (GEO)28 Apr, 2016
IRNSS-1FGeostationary Orbit (GEO)10 Mar, 2016
IRNSS-1EGeosynchronous Orbit (IGSO)20 Jan, 2016
IRNSS-1DInclined Geosynchronous Orbit (IGSO)28 Mar, 2015
IRNSS-1CGeostationary Orbit (GEO)16 Oct, 2014
IRNSS-1BInclined Geosynchronous Orbit (IGSO)04 Apr, 2014
IRNSS-1AInclined Geosynchronous Orbit (IGSO)01 Jul, 2013