AI-powered BlackSky secures NGA Luno A contract for AI-driven alteration detection
U.S. Space Force Commissions BlackSky Technology for Global Monitoring
The United States Space Force has announced a significant partnership with BlackSky Technology, a leading geospatial intelligence company. This collaboration aims to support the monitoring of global economic and environmental activity, as well as military capabilities.
BlackSky's unique abilities to automatically detect anomalies and significant events at machine speed and global scale are crucial for national security, policy decisions, and military operations. This is made possible through the company's proprietary AI solutions and techniques, which efficiently manage large volumes of data and generate insights.
Under the Luno A program, BlackSky will be responsible for monitoring global economic and environmental activity, military capabilities, and more. The company's role includes using high-cadence, rapid revisit satellite imagery to monitor over 30 million square kilometers of the Earth's surface.
The change-detection analytics used in the Luno A program are AI-driven, allowing BlackSky to identify areas of the Earth that have experienced change caused by human activity. The company will use its Gen-3 and Gen-2 high-resolution imagery, along with other commercial data sources, for this purpose.
BlackSky's automated detection algorithms will monitor anomalies in real-time and report changes in natural resources, climate, infrastructure development, economic activity, and military activity. The company's strength as a software-first company aligns well with the objectives of the Luno A program.
The Luno A contract is a multi-award indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract worth up to $290 million over a period of five years. This award underscores the maturity and quality of BlackSky's in-house AI capabilities.
In addition to its change-detection capabilities, BlackSky also develops predictive analytics, which will further enhance its contributions to the Luno A program. The company is uniquely suited to discover uncharted patterns of interest over newly mapped areas of the Earth.
The Luno A award is a testament to BlackSky's commitment to innovation and its role in shaping the future of geospatial intelligence. O'Toole, the CEO of BlackSky, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership, stating that it aligns well with the company's strengths as a software-first company.
