Spy agency pumps billions into orbital imagery companies BlackSky, Maxar and Planet – TechCrunch
TechCrunchJul 28, 2022
Spy Agency Contracts Awarded to Commercial Satellite Firms
Image copyright: Maxar Technologies/Reuters [via The Washington Post]
The Facts
The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), the US intelligence agency that operates the nation's spy satellites, will award billions of dollars in contracts over the next decade to three commercial satellite companies: Maxar, BlackSky, and Planet.
The NRO acknowledged the contracts were a "historic expansion" of its acquisition strategy and stated that the increasing availability of commercial companies' imagery will improve the agency's resilience and enable an integrated approach to national security.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
This is a win-win situation. The government still designs and operates the most exquisite and cutting-edge intelligence satellites, but commercial companies can offer ways to cheaply cover much of the world. Because the commercial images are unclassified, intelligence agencies can share data and collaborate more easily with allies and partners.
Establishment-critical narrative
Commercial satellite imagery technology must be regulated. The government needs to impose stricter limits on commercial satellite technology. Soon, anyone from ad companies to terrorist organizations could be monitoring innocent citizens using technology previously reserved for government intelligence agencies. It is a slippery slope to this Orwellian distopia.