electro-optical satellite

House Intel Committee props up FY26 funding for NRO commercial imagery buys

The bill also directs the Director of National Intelligence to appoint a single official to oversee the acquisition of commercially available information by all IC agencies.

Commercial ISR satellite operators petition Congress to reverse NRO cuts

The June 16 letter asserts that the cuts will undercut the Pentagon's Golden Dome plan to create an air and missile defense shield over the US homeland.

US cuts to commercial space imagery could endanger ‘long-term health’ of industry, say insiders

Beyond the potential consequences for the US industry, a reduction in NRO acquisition of commercial imagery also could directly impact US and allied military commanders in the field and US agencies charged with disaster relief, industry and government officials warned.

NRO taps 5 firms for new electro-optical imaging capabilities

The five Strategic Commercial Enhancements (SCE) contracts will allow NRO to study imagery and techniques used by the companies, which include novel ways of processing images to increase their fidelity and resolution.

As DoD readies new commercial space strategies, industry frets funding gap

When it comes to leveraging commercial space tech, one analyst said, "The old adage holds — show me your budget and I’ll show you your priorities."

Maxar contracts startup Umbra to supply SAR satellite data

Under the deal, Maxar will be able to expand its SAR data offerings to international customers, and Umbra will get global eyes on its products, company officials told Breaking Defense.

To maximize Ukraine coverage, BlackSky shifted orbits for its newest satellites

"We're talking to a lot of different organizations in the government — Space Force, the Army, the Air Force — many that are looking at how you could leverage commercial technologies and tactical ISR," BlackSky CEO Brian O'Toole told Breaking Defense.

After Ukraine success, NRO says electro-optical imagery contracts due this summer

Payam Banazadeh, CEO of Capella Space, told Breaking Defense that the Ukraine war has been a "critical place for the industry to show itself," but NRO says it isn't accelerating the SAR acquisition process.

After success in Ukraine, NRO to pitch satellite firms on radio frequency geolocation

Pete Muend, director of the NRO Commercial Systems Program Office, told the USGIF GEOINT 2022 conference that RF tracking for Ukraine has been "great benefit," and spy agency wants to expand the capability.

NRO contracts 5 commercial SAR firms for study, considers official acquisition

Later in the contracting process, NRO potentially will "have the wherewithal to purchase ad hoc imagery, data products and the like," said Pete Muend, director of the spy agency's Commercial Systems Program Office.

Newly public Planet aims for NRO contract, software investments

Planet is hopeful that NRO not only will be interested in its current 50cm resolution SkySat constellation, but also its newest constellation, called Pelican, which will be operational in 2023, said co-founder Robbie Shingler.

NRO Trims Red Tape For Commercial Imagery Data

"LiDAR is a really neat technology, and we've got to take advantage of it," NRO Director Chris Scolese said.

Exclusive: NRO Erects Buy American Barriers Against Allied Satellite Data

The new policy is inconsistent with efforts by DoD and NGA to expand the trusted supplier base by better integrating allied firms into their acquisition chains, critics say.

Space Force Eyes Buying Commercial Satellite ISR

"Comms, data relay, remote sensing, and even ISR and some other things -- [these] capabilities are increasingly available in the commercial market," Space Force deputy Lt. Gen. DT Thompson said today.