Here’s how the US intelligence agency supports satellite imaging companies Maxar, BlackSky and Planet
Last week the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), the US agency that manages the fleet of spy satellites, announced that it has awarded contracts worth billions of dollars to three satellite companies – Maxar, BlackSky and Planet.
The US is pumping billions into satellite imaging companies BlackSky, Maxar and Planet.
The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), the US agency that operates spy satellites that capture incredibly detailed images of the Earth, has awarded the three satellite companies worth billions of dollars in contracts.
In recent months, these companies have gained a lot of attention. Their satellite images have played a fundamental role in the press coverage of the war in Ukraine. According to the company, Maxar provides 90% of the "fundamental geospatial intelligence used by the US government for national security".
Therefore images from space, as well as the ability to interpret and act on these images, are a valuable resource for the NRO, highlights TechCrunch .
The US intelligence agency said it will use the data it receives from the companies to support its "half million federal intelligence, defense and civil agency users over the next decade."
On the other hand, space operations are becoming increasingly commercialized. And these intelligence agency contracts, which represent the largest order ever placed by the NRO, mark an important moment in this trend,Axios points out.
All the details.
THE CONTRACTS ASSIGNED TO MAXAR, BLACKSKY AND PLANET
Last week Maxar revealed in a SEC filing that his 10-year contract with the NRO could be worth up to $ 3.24 billion. According to BlackSky, his contract is worth just over $ 1 billion over 10 years.
However, Planet did not disclose the potential amount of his contract.
This moment "demonstrates the commitment and trust that the US government has in commercial companies, such as BlackSky," Brian O'Toole, CEO of BlackSky, told Axios.
THE USA STRATEGY
By integrating both commercial data and data collected by NRO satellites, officials expect to gain a more holistic view of what is happening on Earth at any given time.
The agency has been moving towards this more integrated approach for years. Therefore, the NRO has offered these companies guaranteed income for years to come, says Axios .
The NRO has advertised the contracts as "a historic expansion" of its acquisition strategy. The growing availability of commercial company images "increases our resilience and enables an integrated approach" to national security.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/innovazione/ecco-come-lagenzia-di-intelligence-usa-sostiene-le-societa-di-immagini-satellitari-maxar-blacksky-e-planet/ on Wed, 01 Jun 2022 18:06:17 +0000.