CatSat carries three cameras onboard: two low resolution metrology cameras and one high resolution HD camera.
The metrology cameras are small, standard resolution (640 x 480) color imagers. Both cameras are located on the +Z side of the vehicle, at a slight angle outward. One camera is focused at infinity and is intended to take images of the Earth. This far focused camera will be used for CatSat's first image from orbit. The other camera is focused much closer to the spacecraft and will be used to measure and track the proper inflation of the inflatable antenna.
The HD camera is a larger, high resolution monochrome imager located in the payload section of the spacecraft. This camera is designed to capture sharp black-and-white images of the Earth's surface with a wide field of view. From orbit, the camera has an approximate footprint of 783 by 626 kilometers (487 by 389 miles) with a ground resolution of approximately 612 meters (2008 feet) per pixel. This means that, in one picture, the satellite could see almost all of Arizona! Apart from providing a detailed look of the Earth's surface, the large amounts of data created by this camera will be used to demonstrate the data transmission capabilities of the inflatable antenna.