Commercial ISR satellite operators petition Congress to reverse NRO cuts
The June 16 letter asserts that the cuts will undercut the Pentagon's Golden Dome plan to create an air and missile defense shield over the US homeland.
US cuts to commercial space imagery could endanger ‘long-term health’ of industry, say insiders
Beyond the potential consequences for the US industry, a reduction in NRO acquisition of commercial imagery also could directly impact US and allied military commanders in the field and US agencies charged with disaster relief, industry and government officials warned.
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NGA hopes to award up to 10 Luno commercial analytics task orders this year
NGA's goal is to get through the bulk of the tasking under the $500 million Luno programs by early next year, NGA Director of Commercial Operations Devin Brande told Breaking Defense.
NGA, Space Force ink accord on responsibilities for buying commercial ISR
Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman stressed that the commercial imagery the Space Force gathers will not be used directly for targeting, rather to allow commanders to rapidly understand evolving situations.
Building on DoD demos, NOVI plans dual-use imagery constellation
Both the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Missile Defense Agency are now testing NOVI's satellite sensor data processing computer and AI-powered software on orbit.
NATO aims to bolster investments in space, intelligence sharing
"[I]ncreased situational awareness in the space domain is absolutely essential for NATO allies," Maj. Gen. Paul Lynch, deputy assistant secretary general for intelligence on NATO's military staff, said today.
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Lawmakers fret over rumor of White House cuts to NRO commercial imagery budget
During a HASC strategic forces subcommittee meeting Wednesday, Ranking Member Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., expressed concern that OMB has "slashed" NRO's budget for acquiring commercial imagery.
EXCLUSIVE: NGA awards new Luno A task order for commercial imagery analysis
NGA Director Vice Adm. Frank Whitworth confirmed that the agency and the Space Force are working on a memorandum of agreement that will set "procedures" to ensure that they don't duplicate commercial imagery products.
NGA suspends Ukraine’s access to commercial satellite imagery
However, several industry sources said that their companies have not been blocked by NRO from taking pictures over Ukraine.
As industry frets licensing bottlenecks, NOAA reinstates top commercial space officials
Representatives of US remote sensing firms remain extremely nervous about possible roadblocks to future plans that require either new licenses or license modifications due to the personnel downsizing resulting from the efforts of Elon Musk's DOGE team to chop the size of the federal bureaucracy.
Michigan: Arsenal of Democracy for dangerous times
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Firings sap NOAA office responsible for licensing remote sensing satellite firms
License holders are receiving emails saying that all correspondence with the Commercial Remote Sensing for Regulatory Affairs is now being routed to the NOAA Office of General Counsel as no "senior personnel remain in the office," according to communications reviewed by Breaking Defense.
For the Space Force, terrestrial turf wars and rising budgets await: 2025 preview
Other than that, for a number of reasons, including the transition to a new administration, our crystal ball for the Space Force in 2025 is pretty darn cloudy.
China’s remote sensing buildup risks US national security: Congressional commission report
The report, shared with Breaking Defense, recommends Congress consider funding systems against Chinese "counter-intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) systems, electronic attack and cyber capabilities, antiradiation ordnance, base hardening, close-in weapons systems, and air defense capabilities."
And then there were 3: NRO extends contracts for radar imagery to Capella, ICEYE, Umbra
The new Stage III contracts are expected by industry officials to be the last of the short term, relatively small dollar awards under the SCC BAA — with senior NRO officials pushing to create a longer term program of record in the fiscal 2026 budget.