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BlackSky in the news
BlackSky unveils wide-area imaging satellite
BlackSky, a provider of satellite imagery and analytics, announced plans to develop a new type of Earth observation satellite designed to capture large areas of the planet. This new satellite will target applications requiring broad geographical coverage, including country-scale mapping, maritime monitoring and the creation of virtual replicas of physical locations.
The wide-area imaging satellite, called Aros, is scheduled to launch in 2027, BlackSky’s CEO Brian O’Toole told SpaceNews.
Its newest Gen-3 satellites can capture images with 35-centimeter resolution and revisit the same spot up to once per hour. These satellites are designed for monitoring targeted areas rather than covering vast regions in a single pass.
The Aros satellite is intended to image entire countries or large regions, generating comprehensive datasets that can be used to build and maintain what the industry calls “digital twins” — virtual replicas that mirror the current state of physical infrastructure like ports, cities, or industrial facilities.
BlackSky is looking to offer a more complete imaging solution — pairing rapid revisit with broader surveillance capabilities, O’Toole said.
The move toward large-area imaging comes at a time when wide-coverage satellites operated by other providers are aging, opening a market opportunity. “There is a well-defined market and demand signal for this,” he said, citing interest from U.S. defense agencies, international governments and commercial users.
“If customers want to collect large, country-size database maps, they can do that through this new satellite,” O’Toole said.
BlackSky satellite delivers high-res imagery just 12 hours post-launch
BlackSky Technology’s second Gen-3 satellite has delivered its first very high-resolution and low-latency images just 12 hours after its launch.
The system collected 35-centimeter (13.8 inches) resolution imagery over Golmud Air Base, Qinghai Province, China, on June 9 at 7:45 am China Standard Time, showcasing its ability to provide decision-makers with intelligence on vital aircraft and ground vehicle movements and positioning, as well as critical facility operations.
Compressing the entire process of satellite commissioning, imaging, downlink, processing, and delivery into half a day is faster than many traditional satellite tasking and delivery cycles.
“In today’s national security environment, BlackSky’s customers require space-based intelligence that moves at warfighter speed,” said company CEO Brian O’Toole.
U.S. satellite firms look abroad as foreign nations seek ‘sovereign’ eyes in the sky
More nations, some with limited space capabilities, are signing on to intelligence-as-a-service models, Brian O’Toole, CEO of BlackSky, said during a earnings call earlier this year. In many cases, these deals are long-term, a critical factor for commercial satellite firms looking for predictable revenue to reassure investors and shareholders.
“We’re getting international agreements for five and seven years,” O’Toole said. This arrangement gives the company predictability as it invests in next-generation satellites, he added.
BlackSky officials said they recently landed a $100 million seven-year subscription contract with an undisclosed foreign government, along with nearly $20 million in multi-year agreements to support India’s commercial Earth observation efforts. The company, which specializes in real-time imagery and analytics, is working with Thales Alenia Space to build a high-resolution optical satellite for India’s Nibe Ltd. — a major defense contractor. This satellite will anchor what is expected to become a constellation supporting Indian national security needs.