ORLANDO, Fla. — Satellite imagery provider Maxar Intelligence has struck a strategic partnership with another Earth observation firm, Satellogic — a move aimed at bolstering geospatial intelligence capabilities for national security agencies.
The exclusive agreement announced Dec. 11 allows Maxar to task, collect and distribute imagery from Satellogic’s satellite constellation. This deal in the competitive Earth observation market highlights a growing trend of collaboration among satellite imaging companies to meet increasingly sophisticated government intelligence needs.
Virtual constellation approach
Maxar is expanding its “virtual constellation” concept, a network that integrates multiple satellite and ground segment systems from various partners. This approach allows the company to offer more comprehensive and flexible imaging solutions than traditional single-constellation products. Satellogic joins Umbra, a radar satellite imaging company, in Maxar’s portfolio of partners contributing to this virtual constellation.
“Customers need access to more than one constellation,” said Peter Wilczynski, chief product officer at Maxar Intelligence. “Tipping and cueing between sensors to balance cost, revisit rates, and resolution is essential in today’s geospatial intelligence landscape.”
Complementary imaging capabilities
While Maxar is known for high-resolution imaging, Satellogic brings a different strength to the partnership. The company operates a constellation of more than 20 satellites, enabling more frequent area updates compared to Maxar’s smaller fleet. Satellogic’s electro-optical imagery, though lower in resolution, provides a higher revisit rate crucial for monitoring dynamic environments.
Maxar can leverage this capability to address government demands for comprehensive site and change monitoring. The company can initially task Satellogic’s imagery to identify areas of interest, then use its own satellites to capture ultra-high-resolution 30 cm-class images for detailed analysis.
“This is one of the first deals of this kind” in the Earth observation sector, Wilczynski noted, emphasizing the collaboration between two electro-optical imagery providers.
The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. A Maxar spokesman said that the deal is unrelated to a recent $10 million investment in Satellogic by an unidentified investor.
