Weekly GEOINT Community News

NGA Announces 10 Winners in MagQuest Phase 1 & Launches $1M Phase 2; Harris & L3 Announce Merger Closing Date; Peraton to Acquire Solers, Inc.; More

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NGA Announces 10 Winners in MagQuest Phase 1; Launches $1M Phase 2

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) announced 10 winners in the first phase of MagQuest, a $1.2M global open innovation challenge to advance how we measure Earth’s magnetic field. The Phase 1 winners, who will each receive $20,000 in cash prizes, are:

  • Earth Observant
  • Helmholtz Center Potsdam GFZ German Research Center for Geosciences
  • Hypergiant
  • Pumpkin
  • Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium
  • SB Technologies
  • Spire Global
  • Stellar Solutions
  • University of Colorado Boulder
  • University of Washington Applied Physics Laboratory with partner Oregon State University

The next phase of the challenge is now accepting detailed designs for geomagnetic data collection methodologies for the World Magnetic Model. Phase 2 is open to solvers from Phase 1 as well as new solvers who did not participate in the first phase of the challenge, and will award $1M in cash prizes.

Harris & L3 Announce Merger Closing Date

Harris Corporation and L3 Technologies announced that they have received the necessary regulatory approvals for their all-stock merger and have set a closing date of June 29. Upon closing, Harris will be renamed L3Harris Technologies, Inc., and shares of L3Harris common stock will trade on the NYSE under ticker symbol “LHX.” L3 shares will cease trading upon market close June 28 and convert into 1.3 L3Harris shares for each L3 share.

Peraton to Acquire Solers, Inc.

Peraton announced its intent to acquire Solers, Inc., a provider of software development and systems integration. The procurement of Solers establishes Peraton as a leading solutions provider in the space protection and resiliency market. The acquisition will also allow Peraton to expand its agile end-to-end solution services.

Vricon Awarded Army Contract for One World Terrain

Vricon was awarded a potential $94 million from the Army Contracting Command to integrate “One World Terrain” capabilities into the U.S. Army’s Synthetic Training Environment (STE). Vricon will develop the One World Terrain database, which will work as a foundational element for STE’s Common Synthetic Environment, which allows units and soldiers to conduct realistic, multi-echelon, collective training anywhere in the world.

ICEYE and KSAT Partnership to Push Boundaries in SAR Image Delivery

ICEYE and Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT) announced a partnership to accelerate the delivery of SAR images. Current delivery timelines vary from several hours to several weeks, which for some users renders the images unusable by the time they are delivered. This collaboration will enable delivery timelines as short as 15 minutes from acquisition.

Raytheon Teams with Black Sage

Raytheon and Black Sage have partnered to defend against drone incursions in urban environments such as airports and cities. This new partnership integrates drone detection and mitigation system for civil authorities, critical infrastructure, and military organizations around the world. The integration of Black Sage sensors, AI, and radio-frequency jammers with Raytheon control systems will allow an individual operator to control a network of sensors that can safely and quickly defend against drones.

Dewberry Awarded USACE Contract

Dewberry received an architecture/engineering services task order for the South Atlantic Coastal Study (SACS) by the Wilmington District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Dewberry will serve as a technical advisor in the development of storm surge modeling products for the South Atlantic Division SACS Engineering team and the USACE’s Engineer Research and Development Center modelers.

GeoComm Chosen for Next Generation 9-1-1 GIS Project

The North Carolina 911 Board selected GeoComm for a new GIS Project aimed at preparing the state for a Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) system implementation. GeoComm will have a statewide GIS educational campaign to help local agencies learn the goals of the NG9-1-1 project. Additionally, GeoComm will develop an assessment of each county’s GIS data to determine their readiness for an NG9-1-1 system. The company will also analyze existing GIS data schema, help counties understand the National Emergency Number Association’s new data model standards, and recommend GIS data improvement items.

Hexagon’s Luciad V2019 Launched

Hexagon’s Geospatial Division recently launched Luciad V2019. The new release will offer leading-edge platforms for situational awareness and real-time location intelligence. The Luciad update aims to enable organizations to use cutting-edge location intelligence solutions to create connections needed to drive real-time decisions.  

Boeing Space & Launch Division Moving to Florida’s Space Coast

Boeing’s Space and Launch division is relocating its headquarters from Arlington, Va., to Titusville, Fla. For six decades, Boeing has maintained a strong presence along Florida’s “Space Coast.” Jim Chilton, senior vice president of Space and Launch, said the move represents Boeing’s continuous legacy and future commitment to the region.

Image Courtesy of NOAA

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