WASHINGTON — The U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) announced Jan. 15 it selected 13 companies for a $200 million contract to provide commercial satellite data and analytics, marking a shift in how the intelligence agency acquires critical information for national security.
Under the five-year contract, known as Luno B, these vendors will compete for task orders to provide commercial satellite imagery analysis and insights. With this procurement, NGA is reducing its traditional reliance on classified data processed in secure facilities.
The contract follows a $290 million Luno A procurement announced in September, and represents the intelligence community’s growing embrace of commercial space technology.
The 13 selected vendors are: Airbus U.S. Space & Defense; BAE Systems; Booz Allen Hamilton; BlackSky; BlueHalo; CACI; Deloitte; Electromagnetic Systems; Maxar Intelligence; NV5 Geospatial; Planet Labs; Royce Geospatial; and Ursa Space Systems.
Ten of the 13 vendors were selected for Luno A. Newcomers to Luno B are defense contractor BAE Systems, the consulting firm Deloitte, and satellite imagery provider Planet Labs.
The NGA, which provides geospatial intelligence to military and civilian decision-makers, will use the commercial data to monitor global economic activities, environmental changes, and military movements. This includes tracking shipping patterns, construction projects, natural disasters, and foreign military capabilities.
The contract structure, known as indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ), allows the government to place orders flexibly as needs arise, without committing to specific quantities in advance.
