SAN FRANCISCO - The National Reconnaissance Office, the folks who run America's spy satellites, have decided that when it comes to keeping an eye on things, they could use a little help from the private sector. In a move that screams 'we can't build everything ourselves,' the NRO has awarded contracts to Capella Space, Iceye U.S., and Umbra to expand the government's use of commercial synthetic aperture radar (SAR).
Under the NRO's Commercial Radar Capabilities program, these companies will now have a direct line to sell their radar data to the government. This means users can order SAR collections, archive imagery, and develop new capabilities to meet mission requirements. Because who doesn't want a direct pathway to spy on things?
The NRO, in its Aug. 5 news release, said that by 'integrating commercial SAR capabilities with national systems,' it increases its intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capacity and flexibility, ensuring timely and persistent global coverage. Translation: They're getting more eyes in the sky, and they're not even having to pay for the development. 'This approach allows the NRO to leverage the rapid innovation occurring in the commercial space sector to augment its cutting-edge space-based intelligence systems,' the release added. Because nothing says 'cutting-edge' like buying stuff from startups.
This isn't the first time the NRO has dabbled in commercial radar. Back in 2022, they gave contracts to Airbus U.S., Capella Space, Iceye U.S., PredaSAR, and Umbra to study commercial data sources. After some modeling, simulation, and on-orbit demonstrations, the NRO has decided these companies are worth their salt - or at least worth a contract.
The latest contracts, managed by the NRO's Commercial Systems Program Office (CSPO), will provide 'all-weather, day and night imaging to support a wide range of national security and humanitarian missions.' Because nothing says humanitarian like a spy satellite. The strategy is 'informed by lessons learned from the NRO's successful Electro-Optical Commercial Layer and other commercial remote sensing programs.' So, they've done this before, and it worked.
Iceye U.S. CEO Ann Stevens was positively giddy: 'Commercial remote sensing is increasingly part of how the Intelligence Community augments some of its hardest collection challenges. Earning a place on the RCA program reflects the trust the NRO places in our technology and our team.' She added, 'We focused on delivering the reliability and responsiveness this mission requires.' Because when it comes to spying, reliability is key.
Umbra CEO David Langan was equally honored: 'We're honored by the trust the NRO has placed in Umbra to support U.S. intelligence missions. Today's announcement is an important new chapter in a partnership built on years of consistent delivery.' He went on to say that their team is focused on solving the hardest remote sensing challenges in space, and they 'move at speed to turn new ideas and U.S. technology into better capabilities for national security.' Speed is great, but let's hope they also have accuracy.
Iceye also noted that because their SAR data is unclassified, it can be shared across the defense, intelligence, civil, and allied and coalition partner community under existing sharing agreements. Because what's the point of spying if you can't share it with your friends?
But wait, there's more! Under a related program, the NRO announced contract awards in May to EarthDaily, Iceye, and Pixxel to expand access to 'cutting-edge multi-phenomenology remote sensing capabilities,' including electro-optical, hyperspectral imaging, and radio frequency. So, they're getting even more ways to see things.
And under a Strategic Commercial Enhancements contract in late 2024, the NRO announced plans to expand the integration of Umbra's SAR capabilities. They also tapped Umbra in 2024 to deliver radio frequency products to validate on-orbit performance and assess mission utility. Because if you're going to spy, you might as well do it in multiple wavelengths.
So, there you have it: the NRO is buying radar data from commercial companies, because apparently, even spy agencies need to embrace the gig economy.