Maxar, BlackSky, Planet Awarded NRO Satellite Imagery Assessment Contracts

The National Reconnaissance Office selected three companies to conduct satellite imagery studies that aim to evaluate industry™s capacity to help the U.S. government address geospatial intelligence requirements by 2023.

Maxar Technologies (NYSE: MAXR), Spaceflight Industries™ BlackSky Global subsidiary and Planet received separate contracts to help NRO determine requirements for future commercial imagery procurements, the agency said Monday.

Troy Meink, director of NRO™s geospatial intelligence directorate, told attendees at the 2019 GEOINT Symposium in San Antonio that the office aims to expand its commercial partnerships with the remote sensing industry.

œCommercial imagery is an essential part of our current and future overhead architecture and it represents a new way of doing business at the NRO, Meink said.

The agency expects to begin procuring new commercial imagery technology in late 2020.

Sponsor