Jamie Bennet
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has expanded the remote sensing license for Maxar Technologies’ satellites to include non-Earth imaging services.
The NOAA approval allows Maxar to use NEI to gather and share images of space objects with commercial and government customers, the company said Monday.
Maxar’s on-orbit imaging constellation and next-generation WorldView Legion satellites currently support space domain awareness and space traffic management efforts in the private and government sector. The NEI capability is expected to enhance monitoring and assessment of active and defunct satellites, on-orbit and de-orbit collision risks, and operational environments for space missions.
“Maxar’s NEI capability has been licensed at a pivotal time for the space industry, when the rapid proliferation of space objects is creating an increasingly crowded Low-Earth Orbital environment, creating new risks for government and commercial missions,” Maxar President and CEO Dan Jablonsky remarked.
The 2022 Wash100 awardee added that the NOAA authorization enables the company to provide national security mission assistance, help boost in-orbit asset security of commercial customers and offer new capability for supporting broader space resiliency efforts.
NEI imaging will be available to select organizations involved in space object characterization beginning 2023.
