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Earth’s a big world with secrets to reveal to those who can sense and make sense of it

Earth’s a big world with secrets to reveal to those who can sense and make sense of it
Earth’s a big world with secrets to reveal to those who can sense and make sense of it

With Planet’s AI/ML tools and 50 petabytes of Earth-observation data, users can easily search through the archive to find the needles in the haystack.

NRO keeps 3 vendors for commercial imagery with new 10-year contracts

NRO keeps 3 vendors for commercial imagery with new 10-year contracts
NRO keeps 3 vendors for commercial imagery with new 10-year contracts

Commercial imagery has proven invaluable in the Ukraine conflict, both to the US government’s information war against Russia and to the Ukrainian military.

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

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

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

Planet’s new Pelican remote sensing sats sport sharper eyes, faster revisits

Planet’s new Pelican remote sensing sats sport sharper eyes, faster revisits
Planet’s new Pelican remote sensing sats sport sharper eyes, faster revisits

“We have designed our next generation ‘Pelican’ fleet to meet the evolving needs of customers who want real-time information about global events as they unfold – from floods and wildfires to political conflicts and threats to human rights,” said company CEO Will Marshall.

How US intel worked with commercial satellite firms to reveal Ukraine info

How US intel worked with commercial satellite firms to reveal Ukraine info
How US intel worked with commercial satellite firms to reveal Ukraine info

While the NGA chief said it’s “surprising to see that information advantage on the battlefield is so far countering superior equipment and mass” in Ukraine, experts warn a future information fight with China won’t likely go as smoothly.

US space leaders warn sat operators to beware likely Russian interference

US space leaders warn sat operators to beware likely Russian interference
US space leaders warn sat operators to beware likely Russian interference

“We’ve been talking about the fact that space is contested, and we’re probably right in the middle now of our first space fight,” said Lt. Gen. Michael Guetlein.

Newly public Planet aims for NRO contract, software investments

Newly public Planet aims for NRO contract, software investments
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.

Planned NRO imagery contracts to ease sharing, with one big exception

Planned NRO imagery contracts to ease sharing, with one big exception
Planned NRO imagery contracts to ease sharing, with one big exception

NRO use of shutter control on commercial electro-optical imagery would be “very rare,” and “limited in both area and time,” said Peter Muend, head of the spy agency’s commercial office.

Exclusive: NRO Erects Buy American Barriers Against Allied Satellite Data

Exclusive: NRO Erects Buy American Barriers Against Allied Satellite Data
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.

SecAF Nominee Kendall Expected To Deep Dive On Space Acquisition

SecAF Nominee Kendall Expected To Deep Dive On Space Acquisition
SecAF Nominee Kendall Expected To Deep Dive On Space Acquisition

UPDATED: To add comment from former SecAF Heather Wilson and HASC Chair Adam Smith. WASHINGTON: Frank Kendall has a reputation as a tough nut — having wrestled to the ground any number of messy DoD programs when he led the Obama Pentagon’s acquisition shop —  including the troubled OCX operating system for GPS, and the…

EXCLUSIVE — SDA, NRO Mull Direct Satellite Links To Speed Imagery To Warfighters

EXCLUSIVE — SDA, NRO Mull Direct Satellite Links To Speed Imagery To Warfighters
EXCLUSIVE — SDA, NRO Mull Direct Satellite Links To Speed Imagery To Warfighters

Directly linking SDA data transport and NRO imaging satellites is one option under discussion to speed transfer of target tracking data to warfighters, SDA Director Derek Tournear says.

2021: A Space (Force) Odyssey: Norms, Arms Control & Warfighting

2021: A Space (Force) Odyssey: Norms, Arms Control & Warfighting
2021: A Space (Force) Odyssey: Norms, Arms Control & Warfighting

“I will be very curious to see how the Space Force shakes out in the next year or so. It’s not going away but how it manifests itself could be different,” said Victoria Samson, Washington Office director for Secure World Foundation.

NGA Gears Up For All Domain Ops

NGA Gears Up For All Domain Ops
NGA Gears Up For All Domain Ops

NGA is tapping industry for new capabilities, such as “persistent change detection” and “geolocation” of potential targets such as an adversary’s ships.