The U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) has extended by 16 months its satellite imagery contract with Spot Image of Toulouse, France, according to a Feb. 24 posting on the Federal Business Opportunities Web site.
The NGA is the U.S. government’s primary buyer of commercial satellite imagery. It has spent $29.2 million on Spot imagery through the current contract that was issued in 2006, NGA spokeswoman Sue Meisner said in an e-mailed response to questions. The contract modification increases the maximum value of the contract by $6.5 million and extends it through July 2011, the posting said.
Spot Image, a subsidiary of Astrium Services, operates the Spot 4 and Spot 5 imaging satellites, which can collect imagery with ground resolution as fine as 2.5 meters. The firm plans later this year to launch the first of two more sophisticated imaging satellites that will be able to produce imagery with half-meter ground resolution.
