WASHINGTON - The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced it had awarded eight companies with contracts to help the agency acquire Earth observation data and provide related services.
NASA has awarded contracts worth up to $476 million under its Commercial SmallSat Data Acquisition Program On-Ramp1. The firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts will run through 15 Nov. 2028, and involve several companies tasked with providing Earth observation data to support NASA's scientific research.
The selected contractors include BlackSky Geospatial Solutions, Inc. in Herndon, Va.; ICEYE US Inc. in Irvine, Calif.; MDA Geospatial Service Inc. in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada; Pixxel Space Technologies, Inc. in El Segundo, Calif.; Planet Labs Federal, Inc. in Arlington, Va.; Satellogic Federal, LLC in Davidson, N.C.; Teledyne Brown Engineering, Inc. in Huntsville, Ala.; and The Tomorrow Companies Inc. in Boston.
Related: ICEYE US announces NASA order for SAR data under commercial program
BlackSky will offer data from its Spectra platform, which combines satellite imagery and AI-enabled analytics to provide real-time monitoring and anomaly detection. “Adding BlackSky’s space-based intelligence products to NASA’s research data repository provides yet another valuable proof point of government demand for real-time, dawn-to-dusk monitoring capabilities,” said Brian E. O’Toole, BlackSky CEO.
ICEYE will supply synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data, which can capture precise Earth surface measurements regardless of weather or light conditions. “NASA’s Earth Science objectives are invaluable for exploring and protecting our planet. We remain grateful for the opportunity to continue supporting NASA’s mission with our data,” said Eric Jensen, CEO of ICEYE US.
Pixxel, based in California, will provide hyperspectral imaging data, which captures detailed information across numerous wavelengths. “Being selected for this NASA contract is a monumental achievement for Pixxel and further validates that hyperspectral imaging will be integral to the future of space-based Earth observation,” said Awais Ahmed, Pixxel CEO.
These contracts will help NASA augment its Earth observation capabilities by leveraging commercial data to support a wide range of research applications.
