“This important contract demonstrates the powerful, comprehensive tip-and-cue utility between our Gen-3 and Gen-2 systems,” said Brian O’Toole, BlackSky CEO. “The two generations of satellites work synergistically as analysts seamlessly combine reliable high-cadence, time-diverse Gen-2 data with the enhanced very high-resolution capabilities of Gen-3.”
Through BlackSky’s Spectra tasking and analytics platform, customers can integrate Gen-3 and Gen-2 data into their existing workflows. This enables sustained monitoring over multiple locations, using Gen-2 analytics and the option to collect low-latency Gen-3 imagery in response to emerging events.
“Accelerated international interest in Gen-3 is indicative of our customers’ growing confidence and trust in BlackSky’s commercial services as an integral part of their daily military and intelligence operations,” O’Toole added. “As we integrate more and more Gen-3 satellites into the fleet, our early access customers will experience unparalleled reliability and quality of imagery at industry-leading speeds in support of the full range of strategic to tactical ISR operations.”
The Gen-2 system’s proven operational and technical track record has been foundational to the design of Gen-3. The new satellites offer rapid-revisit, time-diverse 35-centimetre imagery, supporting automated detection and classification of a broad range of military-relevant targets such as vehicles, aircraft and vessels.
BlackSky currently operates two Gen-3 satellites on orbit and is on track to complete a six-satellite Gen-3 constellation within the year. The company provides real-time, space-based intelligence services through its proprietary low Earth orbit satellite constellation and the BlackSky Spectra software platform.
BlackSky supports strategic decision-making by enabling customers to observe, interpret, and anticipate global events in real time. Its services are relied upon by U.S. and international government agencies, commercial enterprises, and global organisations.
