BlackSky’s (NYSE: BKSY) latest satellites reached orbit and delivered first insights within 14 hours of launch. The company’s constellation growth signals a return to space and an increased capacity for global customers.
“Growing BlackSky’s constellation and increasing our rapid-revisit monitoring capabilities is about more than just getting satellites into space,” said Nick Merski, BlackSky chief operations officer. “The key value to customers is how quickly we incorporate data from these sensors into our AI architecture. It’s about the prompt delivery of top quality, automated services for insights that our customers can trust.”
BlackSky’s “Love at First Insight” satellites entered orbit approximately 54 to 56 minutes after launch, promptly completed system checkouts, and were operationalized to collect and transfer imagery into BlackSky’s Spectra AI suite of artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms, which immediately processed, analyzed, and detected objects of interest with no humans in the loop.
“With this launch, we have visibility on a path to double the constellation size by the end of the year and more importantly allow us to grow our revenues as we expand our ability for customers to gain first-to-know insights,” added Merski.
BlackSky has plans to grow its smallsat constellation by up to four additional satellites by the end of 2021. The successful launch of these satellites will double BlackSky’s current capacity and achieve an average hourly revisit rate. Over the next several years the company seeks to establish a constellation of multi-spectral satellites capable of monitoring key locations on Earth every 30 minutes, day or night. The satellites launched on the “Love at First Insight” mission were designed and manufactured by LeoStella, BlackSky’s smallsat development and manufacturing partner. LeoStella is focused on manufacturing satellites at scale and continuously evolving its satellite product line to serve the growing satellite constellation market.
Through its growing constellation of high-revisit satellites, BlackSky’s real-time global intelligence services provides enhanced situational awareness for commercial and government customers around the world.
About BlackSky Technology Inc.
BlackSky is a leading provider of real-time geospatial intelligence. Leveraging its own satellite constellation and harnessing the world’s emerging sensor network, the Company monitors the activities and locations worldwide that matter most to its customers. BlackSky’s on-demand constellation of proprietary satellites, together with the sensors in its partners’ constellations, are capable of imaging targeted locations on Earth multiple times a day in a variety of conditions. The data collected from BlackSky’s satellites and other sources populates BlackSky’s proprietary data lake and platform. Cutting-edge computer techniques, including machine learning and artificial intelligence, allow BlackSky’s customers to derive unique and commercially valuable insights, providing them with a first-to-know advantage. BlackSky’s suite of real-time geospatial intelligence products can be integrated into a customer’s system or made available through BlackSky’s Spectra platform using a laptop and internet connection. The Company’s variety of pricing and utilization options enables customers to customize their first-to-know experience. For more information, visit www.blacksky.com.
