Weekly GEOINT Community News

Hawkeye 360 Supporting RF GEOINT Pilot Program for NGA, Spaceflight Inc. Unveils Next-Gen Orbital Transfer Vehicle to Fly Aboard Next SpaceX Rideshare Mission, St. Louis Geospatial Technology Accelerator Seeks Applications for Inaugural Cohort, and More

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Hawkeye 360 Supporting RF GEOINT Pilot Program for NGA

HawkEye 360 is supporting a commercial radio frequency (RF) geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) pilot program for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), using its constellation of formation flying satellites to deliver RF data and analytics to the agency and U.S. combatant commands so analysts can explore how this new source of commercial data can augment intelligence activities. The commercial RF collected as part of this effort is being examined for feasibility in supporting a variety of GEOINT applications, such as tipping and cueing of other data sources to include electro-optical and radar imaging satellites. U.S. combatant commands are also using the data to improve maritime awareness and cooperation with regional allies through unclassified sharable data and analytics. The RF GEOINT pilot, which started in September, leverages HawkEye 360’s commercial integration study contract with the National Reconnaissance Office to access commercial RF data that is then integrated into NGA’s Predictive GEOINT Prototype (PGP), which supports an agile development approach for exploring new commercial sources and analytics.

Next-Gen Orbital Transfer Vehicle to Fly Aboard Next SpaceX Rideshare Mission

Spaceflight will be flying its next generation orbital transfer vehicle, Sherpa-FX, on a fully dedicated rideshare mission with SpaceX. The mission, called SXRS-3 by Spaceflight, is scheduled to launch on a Falcon 9. Spaceflight has contracted 16 spacecraft for this mission from organizations including iQPS, Loft Orbital, HawkEye 360, NASA’s Small Spacecraft Technology program, Astrocast, and the University of South Florida Institute of Applied Engineering. In addition to the customer spacecraft, Sherpa-FX will transport multiple hosted payloads including one for Celestis Inc., as well as several that will demonstrate technologies designed to identify and track spacecraft once deployed. By demonstrating these tracking systems on orbit, Spaceflight customers will have access to flight-proven technologies that can mitigate space congestion and provide the foundation of effective and responsible space traffic management. Technologies onboard Sherpa-FX include payloads by NearSpace Launch, Keplerian Technologies and their hardware partner Tiger Innovations, and Space Domain Awareness Inc.

Hawkeye 360’s Next-Gen Satellites Ship to Cape Canaveral For Launch   

HawkEye 360 has shipped its second cluster of satellites to the launch site at Cape Canaveral, Florida. The satellites are scheduled to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9, as part of Spaceflight Inc.’s SXRS-3 ride share mission. HawkEye Cluster 2 is the first of a series of next generation satellites HawkEye 360 is deploying to complete its baseline constellation. This shipment milestone means that Cluster 2 will soon be joining the company’s Cluster 1 satellites in orbit. The three Cluster 2 satellites are larger and more powerful, able to collect multiple types of signals simultaneously for longer periods of time. These workhorse satellites will allow HawkEye 360 to offer increasingly robust space-based RF data insights to its U.S. government, international government, and commercial customers across a wide range of frequencies.

St. Louis Geospatial Technology Accelerator Seeks Applications for Inaugural Cohort

A collaborative new accelerator bringing local, state, and federal partners together to fund, mentor, and accelerate the growth of next-generation geospatial-intelligence technologies is taking applications for its first cohort. The program, sponsored by Capital Innovators, Missouri Technology Corporation, and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, will accept applications through 11:59 p.m. Jan. 17. The collaboration, the first of its kind sponsored by a U.S. intelligence agency, aims to engage with the greater St. Louis region and beyond to develop innovations in geospatial technology through collaboration and a transfer of technology and subject matter expertise. The program will source technology from startups that serve four core areas: data management; advanced analytics and modeling; data integrity and security; and Artificial Intelligence. Startups from across the U.S. are invited to participate and will temporarily relocate during the term of the accelerator. Entrepreneurs chosen in this first cohort will have access to incentives including a $100,000 grant, access to a state-of-the-art co-working space, direct engagement with the NGA, over $1 million in perks and benefits, investor connections and access to the greater Capital Innovators network, and participation in a demo day.

Airbus-Built CSO-2 French Military Earth Observation Satellite Launched Successfully

Airbus-built Composante spatiale optique (CSO-2) Earth observation satellites for the French Armed Forces successfully launched on a Soyuz launcher from the Kourou European Spaceport in French Guyana. CSO-2 is the second of the three-satellite CSO constellation, which will provide extremely high resolution geospatial intelligence to the French Armed Forces and to its partners in the MUSIS cooperation program (Multinational Space-based Imaging System for surveillance, reconnaissance and observation). The CSO satellites are equipped with an agile pointing system and are controlled via a secure ground control operations center. The constellation will offer 3D and very high-resolution imaging capability, in visible and infrared bandwidths, enabling acquisition during night and day, maximizing the operational use.

Parsons Continues Software Development Leadership with USAF Award

Parsons Corporation has been awarded a new, competitive task order worth approximately $20 million under the company’s Global Application Research, Development, Engineering, and Maintenance (GARDEM) indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). The three-year contract will support operationally-focused research and development activities for the U.S. Air Force, Department of Defense, and Intelligence Community. This task order is the fourth competitive bid Parsons has won on the GARDEM contract since 2019, totaling $154 million. Parsons will procure hardware and software, perform analytical studies, system feasibility studies, system design, rapid prototyping, software development, and functional test and evaluation analyses. The company’s agile mindset, legacy of performance, and operational experience developing flexible, resilient software systems will complement AFRL’s existing software and allow for subsequent reuse and growth. 

FAA Selects Leidos to Modernize Safety System

Leidos was awarded a new prime contract by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to modernize their safety analysis tools and capabilities through the development of the Operational Analysis and Reporting System (OARS). This single award contract holds an approximate total value of $64 million and includes a four-year base period with two two-year options. Work will be based out of Gaithersburg, Maryland, and Morgantown, West Virginia. OARS will support the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization (ATO) Safety Management System (SMS) by proactively defining, identifying, assessing, treating, and tracking the mitigation of safety risks. Through this contract, Leidos will leverage its robust capabilities, including cloud adoption framework (CAF), SecDevOps, and Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) processes to migrate and enhance safety services.

Peer Intel

Parsons’ Carey Smith, president and chief operating officer, has been appointed to the company’s board of directors. Smith is responsible for Parsons’ global operations and implementing the corporate growth strategy built on continuous technology innovation.

Featured Image: HawkEye 360 Supporting RF GEOINT Pilot Program for the NGA | Photo Credit: HawkEye 360

Posted in: Monday News Kickoffs   Tagged in: Contracts, NGA, RF Data, ST Louis, Satellites

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