WASHINGTON — The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency awarded Maxar Technologies a five-year contract to provide commercial satellite imagery to U.S. allies.
The contract is worth as much as $192 million, the Westminster, Colorado-based company said in a Feb. 8 statement. It includes high-resolution electro-optical imagery as well as synthetic aperture radar products, which uses radar to see through clouds and in dark conditions and detect things like material properties, precise movement and elevation. Maxar will also provide three-dimensional data services.
Commercial satellite imagery is in high demand and its utility for military operations has been on full display in the war in Ukraine. Data from commercial space-based imagery providers is supplementing government-owned space capabilities, providing detailed insights into Russian troop movements.
The contract follows two other awards from NGA, which Maxar announced last month. The first, a $22.5 million contract, is for the agency’s Janus program and will help characterize land cover over areas that haven’t been mapped in the past. Under another $13.3 million deal, the company will provide an interface that NGA can use to better access its commercial imagery archive.
In December, Maxar announced it would be acquired by private equity firm Advent International for $6.4 billion. The deal is expected to close later this year.
Courtney Albon is C4ISRNET’s space and emerging technology reporter. She has covered the U.S. military since 2012, with a focus on the Air Force and Space Force. She has reported on some of the Defense Department’s most significant acquisition, budget and policy challenges.
