The military and intelligence markets are about to start seeing things more clearly. Last year the Commerce Department approved the sale of higher-resolution satellite images in the global marketplace, with full implementation scheduled for February 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That move will be a game-changer for one U.S. satellite operator, and maybe for the $400 million-a-year industry. DigitalGlobe is the only firm currently producing images accurate to within 30 centimeters. Its clients include National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), NATO and U.S. military branches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As the leading U.S. consumer of such imagery, NGA already benefits from the higher resolution images. The new policy also could spur the kind of technological advances the agency seeks. “We exist to enable our customers’ success \u2014 nothing else will suffice. So my key issue is to accelerate the pace of progress, because the evolving threat environment and rapid technological advances demand it,” NGA Director Robert Cardillo said in a recent speech to the National Security Alliance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The sale of 30-centimeter images could drive such advances as other operators race to match DigitalGlobe’s capabilities. For the time being, though, “they will be the only ones on the market with this kind of data,” said Claude Rousseau, research director at Northern Sky Research (NSR). “It’s a big change, in that it helps the U.S. to stay ahead of the competition.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
DigitalGlobe is looking to make the most of its new position. “We have 10 major international defense and intelligence customers who leverage us to supplement their overhead architecture. Having a more capable satellite that we can sell internationally allows us to be a more complete solution for them,” said Tony Frazier, DigitalGlobe’s senior vice president for government solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The company is eyeing additional nations to whom it may sell the more precise imagery. “Having the ability to help those customers understand the threats to their borders, that is really the use case we are supporting,” Frazier said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While the new rules give DigitalGlobe a leg up, they hardly knock out the competition. For example, the European company Airbus Defense and Space can field satellite images down to 70 centimeters with its Pl\u00e9iades constellation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The market for images below 1-meter resolution made up almost 20 percent of Airbus revenues in 2014. “Our focus is on maintaining this success, taking market share and expanding within a market that is growing,” said Greg Buckman, head of Airbus Geo-Intelligence North America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Resolution is not the only issue on the table, Buckman says. Change detection and map updating also can give a satellite provider a competitive edge, as can a flexible service level agreement. “Where a partner’s end user requires an adaption of our licensing rules, we are flexible enough and adapt accordingly,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other factors may sway the competitive landscape. Improvements in radar will appeal in some circumstances. Satellite operators will continue to build constellations in order to get more frequent image acquisitions. And the push will continue to ensure greater accuracy of data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Still, the ability to detect from outer space such subtle features as highway wear can prove a persuasive selling tool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“In the defense and intelligence community there always has been a drive toward higher resolution,” said David Belton, vice president of geospatial services at Canadian satellite provider MDA. “As the market becomes aware of the 30-centimeter offering, there is going to be a significant segment of the defense sector that is going to gravitate toward that possibility.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As the U.S. provider pulls into the lead position, much is riding on the ongoing race for satellite supremacy. The market for satellite data, value-added services and information products is expected to more than double from $2.3 billion in 2013 to $5.1 billion in 2023, according to NSR.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Observers say the overall global market for satellite imagery is like to keep on shifting. Israel, India and various European nations already are at work on next-generation imaging systems. “There will be other satellites in the next two to three years with the same or better ground resolution, and that is going to shake things up,” Rousseau said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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