Short Intro
Maxar Technologies has secured a multi-year task order from the U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) to deliver AI-powered geospatial intelligence under the agency’s Luno A programme. This award builds on Maxar’s expertise in high-resolution imagery, advanced analytics, and machine learning to accelerate how the NGA ingests, processes and distributes critical earth-observation data. The contract underscores the growing role of artificial intelligence and cloud technologies in delivering faster, more accurate insights for national security.
3 Key Takeaways
– Maxar won a multi-year NGA contract worth up to $357 million (base plus options) to support the Luno A phase of the Responsive Integrated Global GEOINT Delivery (RIGD) effort.
– Under Luno A, Maxar will integrate AI, machine learning, and cloud-native analytics to speed up satellite imagery processing, feature extraction and change detection.
– The work will be based in Colorado Springs, with a one-year base period and four one-year options, enhancing the NGA’s ability to deliver timely geospatial intelligence to policymakers and warfighters.
Article
1. Contract Overview
Earlier this year, Maxar received a task order from the NGA valued at $71.4 million for its initial year, with four optional one-year extensions that could bring the total to approximately $357 million. This award falls under the U.S. Department of Defense’s Responsive Integrated Global GEOINT Delivery (RIGD) programme, known within NGA as Luno A. Work will be performed primarily in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and is expected to run through January 2028 if all options are exercised.
2. The Luno A Programme Explained
The Luno A phase is designed to streamline the end-to-end process of collecting, analyzing and sharing geospatial intelligence. Under Luno A, the NGA aims to reduce the time from satellite data capture to actionable insight—from days or hours down to minutes. This rapid-delivery vision relies on artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and automated workflows to manage ever-growing volumes of imagery, radar, and other sensor data.
3. Maxar’s Role and Capabilities
Maxar will leverage its Radiant Solutions subsidiary to deliver services that include:
• Automated object detection and feature extraction using AI and machine-learning algorithms.
• Change detection analytics that flag alterations in infrastructure, terrain or vegetation over time.
• Integration of multiple data sources—optical, radar and hyperspectral—to build a comprehensive picture of activity on the ground.
• Cloud-native deployment on secure government and commercial cloud environments for scalable, on-demand processing.
4. Technology Partnerships
To meet the demands of Luno A, Maxar will work closely with technology partners, including Amazon Web Services (AWS) for cloud infrastructure and NVIDIA for high-performance computing and AI acceleration. These partnerships ensure that large volumes of data can flow seamlessly from collection to analysis, with encryption and cybersecurity measures safeguarding sensitive information.
5. Benefits for the Intelligence Community
By harnessing AI-driven analytics and automated workflows, the NGA expects to:
• Cut analysis times dramatically, delivering geospatial intelligence faster to support time-sensitive missions.
• Improve the accuracy and consistency of feature extraction, reducing human error and analyst workload.
• Scale processing capacity to handle surges in data volumes, such as during crises or large-scale exercises.
This enhanced capability will support a range of users, from defense operators on the front lines to policymakers in Washington.
6. Industry Context
Maxar is one of several major contractors tapped by the NGA under the RIGD effort. Other awardees include Palantir, Leidos and Booz Allen Hamilton, all vying to deliver modular, cloud-native GEOINT solutions. The RIGD programme represents a shift towards more agile, commercial-style development, moving away from traditional monolithic systems that can take years to field or upgrade.
7. Executive Perspectives
Dan Jablonsky, Maxar’s President and CEO, said: “This contract award reaffirms our leadership in delivering next-generation geospatial intelligence. We are committed to partnering with the NGA to drive innovation with AI, cloud and secure architectures that give our nation’s decision-makers a critical edge.” An NGA spokesperson added, “Luno A is a key milestone in our transformation journey. By adopting commercial best practices and cutting-edge AI, we can deliver the insights our customers need more quickly than ever before.”
8. Future Outlook
As Luno A moves from design to execution, Maxar will demonstrate its ability to ingest new sensor types, refine AI models and deploy updates rapidly. Lessons learned in this phase will inform follow-on efforts under Luno B and beyond, as the NGA continues to refine its digital infrastructure and adopt emerging technologies like digital twins, edge computing and advanced sensor fusion.
3-Question FAQ
Q1: What is the Luno A programme?
A1: Luno A is the first phase of the NGA’s Responsive Integrated Global GEOINT Delivery (RIGD) initiative. It focuses on creating a cloud-native, AI-driven pipeline for collecting, processing and distributing geospatial intelligence, with the goal of cutting delivery times from days to minutes.
Q2: What will Maxar deliver under this contract?
A2: Maxar will provide AI and machine-learning analytics for object detection, feature extraction and change detection across optical, radar and hyperspectral imagery. The work includes secure cloud deployment, scalable processing and integration of multiple data sources to speed up NGA’s intelligence workflows.
Q3: How does this award fit into broader trends in geospatial intelligence?
A3: The contract highlights the shift toward agile, commercial-style development in the defense and intelligence sectors. Agencies are embracing AI, cloud and modular architectures to keep pace with data growth and deliver faster, more accurate intelligence to decision-makers.
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