Weekly GEOINT Community News

Multiple Announcements from NGA; AGC Solicits BAA Topics; USAF Selects Lockheed & Northrop for NextGen Missile Defense Satellite; Much More

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NGA News: GEOWorks, Planet CRADA, Leidos Contract, New RFI 

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) announced at GEOINT 2018 the launch of an open development and collaboration platform called GEOWorks. Users can enter the platform to access NGA’s unclassified data and develop geospatial tools in a data science environment. The GEOWorks infrastructure was developed and secured using MITRE’s new Symphony platform, an “automated, secure provisioning framework that rapidly builds analytic cells in the cloud.”

The agency also awarded seven task orders to Leidos under the Multi-Intelligence Analytical & Collection Support Services program. The task orders will be executed over the next five and a half years at a total contract value of approximately $250 million.

Last month, NGA signed a cooperative research and development agreement with Planet, a commercial imagery provider, to explore and potentially improve the speed at which the agency can extract vital information and analytics from Planet imagery.

Additionally, NGA released a Request for Information on the methods contractors would use to provide IT services supporting the development of a geospatial cloud computing capability known as “Edge Node.” The contracted vendor will supply engineering and integration, operations and sustainment, startup and exit transition, and related hardware and software services. Responses are due May 30.

Army Geospatial Center Solicits BAA Topic Descriptions

The U.S. Army Geospatial Center released a pre-solicitation notice to provide topic area descriptions for the Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) under the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Research areas include enterprise support, systems acquisition, imagery, and data modeling. The individual topics are narrower, to include cloud computing, testing and certification, data modeling, terrain analysis, and more.

USAF Selects Lockheed & Northrop for NextGen Missile Warning Satellite Program

The U.S. Air Force intends to award Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman separate contracts to help the service define requirements for its future missile warning satellite constellation. Both companies will support the Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared program that aims to build a constellation of satellites that will succeed the Space Based Infrared System. Lockheed provide initial design services and procure geosynchronous satellite flight hardware while Northrop will determine polar system specification through sole-source contracts.

Northrop Grumman Opens Cyber Center in San Antonio

Northrop Grumman opened a 7,700-square-foot cyber center in San Antonio to help its government customers bolster their cybersecurity standards and keep information and systems secure. The center includes a cyber integration laboratory, production and warehouse facilities, and a user experience platform.

Vricon Debuts 3D Geo-registration Software

Vricon announced at GEOINT 2018 the launch of its new Precision 3D Registration (P3DR) software suite, which allows analysts to automatically register imagery from disparate collection platforms against Vricon’s “The Globe in 3D” platform. P3DR aligns separate datasets without the need for GPS location, heading information, or ground control points, and provides users with 0.5-meter resolution foundational 3D context of the entire globe.

DigitalGlobe Integrates WorldView Imagery with SecureWatch Platform

Maxar’s DigitalGlobe announced that high-resolution imagery taken by the WorldView-4 satellite is now available through SecureWatch, the company’s cloud-based GEOINT platform. The integration more than doubles SecureWatch’s daily stock of 30 cm-resolution imagery. Later this summer, DigitalGlobe will add SAR  imagery from MDA’s RADARSAT-2 satellite. 

Ursa and e-GEOS Sign Image Sharing Contract

At GEOINT 2018, Ursa Space Systems and e-GEOS, a company owned by Telespazio and the Italian Space Agency, signed a contract to provide thousands of radar images taken by the e-GEOS COSMO SkyMed constellation for use in Ursa’s analysis products. 

Engility Awarded Three Intelligence Systems Contracts

Engility Corporation won three major sole-source intelligence contracts in Q1 2018 for a combined value of $76 million. The company will supply its contractors in the Intelligence Community with classified data analysis, cybersecurity, and systems engineering, as well as modeling and simulation, mission operations, and software design.

EarthNow to Launch Real-Time Video Constellation

EarthNow LLC, spun out from Intellectual Ventures, announced its intent to launch a large constellation of real-time video satellites after closing a first round of funding with backing from Airbus, the SoftBank Group, and others. Airbus will manufacture the satellites, which will carry the most CPU cores in the commercial market. EarthNow will offer government and private clients commercial video services for applications such as agriculture and natural disaster response. The company also plans to establish live Earth video portals accessible via the internet.

NanoRacks Wins GSA Space Services Contract

NanoRacks was awarded a contract with the General Services Administration to provide in-space services to federal agencies. The company offers microgravity research and satellite deployment opportunities in low-earth orbit, and has launched more than 600 payloads to the International Space Station. 

Orbital ATK Reveals OmegA Rocket, Launch System

Orbital ATK unveiled a new rocket and next-generation launch system designed for the U.S. Air Force’s Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program. Called OmegA, the three-stage rocket will come in intermediate and, by 2024, heavy configurations to provide services for agencies and commercial clients. OmegA is scheduled for preliminary ground testing next year and maiden launch in 2021.

Peer Intel

The U.S. Army announced new officer assignments to some key intelligence positions. Maj. Gen. Gary W. Johnston will become the new commanding general of the U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command at Fort Belvoir, Va. He’ll take over for Maj. Gen. Christopher Ballard, who transitions to a new role as deputy director of NSA’s signals intelligence directorate.

Feature Photo: An image of Seville, Spain, taken June 20, 2017, by DigitalGlobe’s WorldView-4 satellite. 

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