Tuesday, June 16, 2015

BlackSky Global Launches Plans For Satellite Imaging Fleet

A new, Seattle-based satellite startup, BlackSky Global said today that it has launched an effort to deploy a fleet of satellites which will provide near real-time images of the planet, at lowe cost. BlackSky plans to deploy a constellation of six satellites in 2016, and expand to 60 imaging satellites by 2019, to serve businesses, organization, and governments who would like near real-time satellite imaging but do not have the resources to deploy their own fleets. The company says it will offer up pricing at one tenth of the current average of satellite images. BlackSky also said it is ramping up hiring in Seattle for the company, which is heavily leveraging the Internet to let customers request and interact with satellite imagery. BlackSky's Chief Technology Officer is Peter Wegner, former director of the U.S. Air Force Operationally Responsive Space Office. BlackSky did not say what resolution its new fleet of satellites will operate at.