NRO Selects Orbital Sidekick for Hyperspectral Capabilities Study


SAN FRANCISCO, March 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) has selected Orbital Sidekick (OSK) for its latest focus area study of commercial space-based hyperspectral imaging (HSI) capabilities under the agency’s Strategic Commercial Enhancements (SCE) Broad Agency Announcement (BAA). The SCE BAA contracts aim to evaluate and integrate emerging commercial remote sensing capabilities for their ability to support IC and DOD mission areas.

“This is an exciting step for OSK that strengthens our relationships with the defense and intelligence communities, and it comes just in time for the launch of the very first constellation of commercial space-based HSI systems,” said Dr. Katie Corcoran, VP of Government Affairs at OSK.

OSK’s first six-satellite hyperspectral constellation (GHOSt) will launch during 2023. Each satellite in the constellation will capture 472 spectral bands across the visible to shortwave infrared range (VSWIR, 400 - 2500 nm) at 8 m (HSI) and 3 m (panchromatic) GSD, and with a target revisit rate of up to daily for certain locations.

Orbital Sidekick’s vision is to build the most robust remote sensing and analytics capability in existence. OSK’s proprietary analytics platform and hyperspectral payload architecture will provide persistent space-based monitoring solutions powered by Spectral Intelligence™. This unique radiometric speciation and change detection capability will enable unparalleled target monitoring services for both commercial and defense users on a global scale. Orbital Sidekick is headquartered in San Francisco, California. For more information on Orbital Sidekick’s global persistent monitoring services, please visit www.orbitalsidekick.com.

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