Rafał Modrzewski’s Eye on Orbit

Rafał Modrzewski was born in Poland in 1989. After graduating from the Faculty of Electronics and IT at the Warsaw University of Technology, he followed the EU’s Erasmus educational exchange program at Aalto University in Helsinki, where he led the data handling team for the project of launching Finland’s first nanosatellite, Aalto-1. He also spent two years researching innovative products at VTT Technical Research Centre and attended a business course organized by Aalto with Stanford University. After reading an article suggesting that technology for monitoring Arctic iceberg movements could significantly improve shipping in that region, he decided to follow this concept of technology.

In 2012, Modrzewski and his Finnish friend Pekka Laurila started a project, ICEYE, which in 2014 turned into a company focusing on broader satellite applications. The desire to monitor icebergs (hence the name ICEYE) evolved into a broader mission to provide persistent and reliable observation around the world. They decided to “democratize” access to space data by developing cost-effective microsatellites capable of frequently visiting and imaging global locations regardless of weather conditions and time of day. They focused on the so-called synthetic aperture radars (SARs), developed in the 1950s for military use but later applied in planetary science, which can move the antenna over a target to create two-dimensional images or three-dimensional objects, such as landscapes, with much finer resolution than conventional stationary beam-scanning radars.

Under Modrzewski’s leadership, ICEYE accomplished the world’s first miniaturization of SAR satellites with cost efficiency 100 times higher than traditional systems, revolutionizing Earth observation capabilities and enabling the company to become the global leader in SAR technology. In 2018, it launched its first microsatellite, and now operates the world’s biggest constellation of 44. The company is valued at over $600 million and is a key partner for global clients, including the US Department of Defense, the US and Brazilian armed forces, disaster response agencies, and commercial sectors (e.g., insurance, maritime). Modrzewski oversees the company’s strategic vision, growth, and operations, managing a team of over 400 employees across offices in Finland, Poland, the UK, Spain, Greece, and the USA.

In Poland, he co-established and serves on the board of ICEYE Polska, expanding the company’s presence in Central and Eastern Europe and collaborating for crisis monitoring with Polish institutions, such as the Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences (CBK PAN). In October 2023, ICEYE signed a partnership agreement with the European Space Agency (ESA) to enhance early warning systems for natural disasters such as floods and wildfires. It aims to leverage SAR technology to provide near-real-time hazard and damage data to emergency response services.
In 2024, ICEYE put nine satellites into orbit and, starting in 2025, plans to launch twenty per year. On January 14, 2025, SpaceX at Vandenberg Space Station in California launched four of its satellites produced in Finland and the USA, including a second satellite, Foresight-2, for Space42, a high-tech company based in the United Arab Emirates. These satellites generate images at 25 cm resolution, the highest available on the market, with the ability to cover areas up to 84,000 km² and revisit any location on Earth on an hourly basis.

“Thanks to the dynamic and efficient development of our constellation, we are strengthening our position as a leader in Earth observation. Revolutionary ICEYE satellites are distinguished by a groundbreaking combination—small size and high efficiency—which we offer to our clients as the only market player. We are all dedicated to being a trustworthy partner to governments and organizations around the world,” said Rafał Modrzewski, ICEYE CEO. “Our Foresight-2 satellite has reinforced the UAE’s position as a global leader in Earth observation, as well as our operational capabilities in various orbits. Thanks to the SAR constellation, we are developing local competencies in satellite production and increasing our country’s readiness to react to crisis situations,” added Hassan Al Hosni, Space42 CEO.

On February 10, 2025, ICEYE signed
a collaboration agreement with SATIM, a Polish company headquartered in Kraków and specializing in Automatic Target Recognition (ATR), to develop new products enabling extremely fast and precise detection and classification of ships, airplanes, vehicles, and other objects nearly in real time at any place and time. The products, combining SAR technology with SATIM’s artificial intelligence and analytical solutions, are expected to be marketed in 2025, as the initial pilot phase has been completed.

Rafał Modrzewski is named an inventor in multiple granted patents and patent applications related to ICEYE’s SAR technology. His achievements also earned him a spot in Forbes 30 Under 30 in the Technology category (2018), followed by other awards: Finnish Engineering Award 2019, Executive of the Year 2019/20 (OTB Ventures), and Leaders of the Future (Forbes & Range Rover).