Capella provides an on-demand self-serve constellation tasking system that enables users to request timely, high-quality image acquisitions that meet their analytics and operational needs. To learn more about Capella's products or to purchase them please contact us.
The Capella platform can be used to order archive data, task a new satellite acquisition, and manage your order as an end user or data reseller. The platform is made of two tools: the Capella Console and the Capella Application Programming Interface (API).
| Capella Console | Capella API |
| a web portal with simple visual interface to access archive collects and task satellites | a powerful solution for archive access and tasking that allows the development of automated workflows |
The Capella Console and API both leverage the spatio-temporal asset catalog (STAC) specification. The STAC metadata and catalog search API is designed for ease of use. Queries with simple metadata filters return links to product assets based on a user's project needs. Capella Space imagery can be ordered and delivered with a minimum purchase of a single scene.
Constellation Tasking System
The constellation tasking system allows users to submit imagery tasking requests, monitor status, and download the resulting imagery in a streamlined workflow.
Submitting a tasking request is simple and user-friendly:
- A user will decide on their point-target location or polygon AOI and desired configuration of imaging acquisition parameters
- Using the Capella Console or Capella API the user specifies their desired imaging parameters and submits their tasking request
- After submitting the tasking request, users will be notified when their tasking request is ready for review. The review contains an estimated cost of the collect requested and the detailed tasking request configuration. While submitting a new tasking request, the user can select an optional pre-approval, which allows the user to skip the review of the tasking configuration and cost estimation.
Once the estimated cost is reviewed and approved by the user, the tasking request enters a queue until the window open start date is within the rolling one-week-out scheduling window at which point it's evaluated by the Capella constellation tasking system. Capella's scheduler runs every 15 minutes and new acquisition tasking requests are processed for a rolling one-week-out scheduling window (i.e. only the upcoming next 7 days are evaluated for any given scheduler run).
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Term |
Description |
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Tasking Request |
A tasking request made by the user, which can be a single point target or a polygon AOI, as well as the imaging mode and collect constraints. |
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Collect |
A Collect is a potential or fulfilled imagery acquisition opportunity for a tasking request. For point targets, there will typically be one collect per tasking request. For polygon tasking requests, there may be many collects to complete the coverage of the area of interest. |
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The collection tier allows users to denote the importance of their tasking request for the acquisition and sets a minimum acquisition window. A user may choose a Window Duration longer than the predefined timeframe for a tasking tier to maximize acquisition opportunities. This will change the timeframe in which the request can be collected to be beyond the default of the tier. |
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Window Open |
The earliest user-defined time when acquisition can occur. Image acquisition can begin any time after the Window Open time. Window Open signifies the start of the Window Duration. |
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Window Close |
The latest user-defined time when acquisition can occur. Image acquisition must occur no later than the Window Close time. Window Close signifies the end of the Window Duration and effectively sets the tasking request expiration date. |