Weekly GEOINT Community News

Skybox Imaging Rebrands to Terra Bella

Google’s satellite subsidiary Skybox Imaging has rebranded as Terra Bella, reports Venture Beat. The change reflects a new vision of “pioneering the search for patterns of change in the physical world.” According to the article, Terra Bella is working with a wide variety of geospatial data sources and machine learning capabilities, and is expected to soon launch new products that do not depend solely on satellites.

Lockheed Martin to Finish First GPS 3 Satellite by August

According to a Space News article, Lockheed Martin Space Systems could have the first GPS 3 satellite available for launch as early as August. Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor for the U.S. Air Force’s next-generation GPS satellite program and is under contract to build eight systems. The contract includes options for up to four more satellites.

CACI to Support SOCOM

U.S. Special Operations Command awarded CACI a $179.9 million contract for geospatial support, reports C4ISR & Networks. CACI will provide Joint Geospatial Analytical Support Services.

Commercial Satellite Imagery Sees Growth from Military

According to a Reuters article, satellite companies say the Pentagon is increasing its demand for commercial services as the Department of Defense seeks to cut costs and increase security of military and spy satellites against attacks. Government officials are working with lawmakers and industry to develop flexible agreements to allow the military to buy satellite services on an as-needed basis.

Google Releases Satellite Images of Japan

Google recently released time-lapse images of Japan after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, reports The Telegraph. The images show the reconstruction effort in various areas of Japan’s Tohoku region that were affected by the earthquake. Watch the video to see the region’s progress since the disaster.

NASA to Measure Forestry with LiDAR

NASA will map the world’s forestry using LiDAR, reports Scientific American. The Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) LiDAR mission will map and measure the volume of the world’s forests and visualize them in 3D. By combining GEDI measurements with data on how much carbon is stored in wood, researchers hope to estimate the amount of carbon stored in forests for the first time. This project will begin in 2018.

Peer Intel

The American Geographical Society elected Dr. Christopher K. Tucker and Dr. Marie Daly Price as its Chair-Elect and President-Elect, respectively. Tucker is on USGIF’s Board of Directors and manages Yale House Ventures. Price is a professor of geography and international affairs at George Washington University.

Altamira Technologies appointed Dan Whalen and Amber Scott to two senior leadership positions. Whalen is now vice president of business development, leading new business growth campaigns. Scott is now vice president of contracts and pricing, having oversight of all contract and subcontract management, pricing, risk mitigation, federal regulation compliance, reporting, and business systems.

Photo Credit: Google