Umbra, based in Santa Barbara, California, builds and operates synthetic aperture radar satellites and in August 2023 released a 16 cm resolution radar image, which it called the highest-resolution commercial satellite image ever released.
At a glance
| Price from | Custom |
| Best for | Analysts who need the sharpest commercial radar imagery |
From Umbra's own website.
What stands out
- Very high radar resolution
- Open data programme for researchers
Worth knowing
- Smaller fleet than ICEYE
- Limited public financial detail
How it ranks
Umbra is ranked 7th of 10 in Best Earth Observation Satellite Companies (Lister Score 89.6).
#7 in Best Earth Observation Satellite Companies · Lister Score 89.6
Umbra launched its twelfth satellite in January 2026 on SpaceX's Twilight mission..
| Rank | Best Earth Observation Satellite Companies | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Planet Labs | 97.3 |
| 2 | Vantor | 96.0 |
| 3 | ICEYE | 94.8 |
| 4 | Airbus Defence and Space | 93.5 |
| 5 | BlackSky | 92.2 |
| 6 | Capella Space | 90.9 |
| 7 | Umbra | 89.6 |
| 8 | Chang Guang Satellite Technology | 88.3 |
| 9 | Satellogic | 87.0 |
| 10 | Pixxel | 85.7 |
Frequently asked questions
How does Umbra rank on Lister?
Umbra is ranked 7th of 10 in Best Earth Observation Satellite Companies (Lister Score 89.6).
Appears in
- #4 in Best Space Startups in Earth Observation · Startups
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