WASHINGTON — Geospatial intelligence company BlackSky plans to make its future Gen-3 satellites compatible with military networks, aiming to expand its footprint in the defense sector.
BlackSky operates a constellation of high-resolution small satellites that monitor global events and activities at high revisit rates.
The company’s chief executive Brian O’Toole told SpaceNews that BlackSky intends to equip its future satellites with laser terminals to facilitate satellite-to-satellite data transmission in space and expedite data delivery to ground-based military users.
BlackSky, which currently does not have optical terminals on its satellites, is in the process of producing Gen-3 satellites for an initial launch later this year on a Rocket Lab Electron rocket.
However, the first few satellites will not be equipped with optical links as the company is yet to finalize the selection of a laser terminal. The decision will be informed by data from a recent study contract with the U.S. Navy, which will help assess suitable optical intersatellite link terminals for the Gen-3 imaging satellites.
O’Toole said the company’s aim is to provide “warfighters real-time access to imagery during time-sensitive military operations worldwide.”
Optical intersatellite links, which use laser-based communications relays, offer faster data transmission compared to traditional radio frequency communications.
Access to military ‘transport layer’
As part of a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase 2 study funded by the Navy, BlackSky will assess what type of optical intersatellite link terminal it should use in order to be compatible with both the Space Development Agency’s (SDA) Transport Layer and commercial transport layers.
The study will also help BlackSky establish operating concepts to guide the acquisition of commercial transport network nodes and optimize data movement strategies, the company said.
SDA, an entity under the U.S. Space Force, is constructing a proliferated low Earth orbit mesh network of satellites. The agency is seeking to collaborate with commercial imaging satellite networks capable of feeding data into its Transport Layer of data relay satellites.
BlackSky plans to launch at least 12 Gen-3 satellites.
While BlackSky already supplies data to the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) under the Electro-Optical Commercial Layer (EOCL) contract and provides data analytics to the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, the company is seeking growth in the military tactical intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance market, leveraging artificial intelligence for providing insights on ground activities.
The Gen-3 satellites are designed to provide 35-centimeter resolution images and will introduce new features such as short-wave infrared bands, allowing imaging through smoke and haze, nighttime and low light.
