WASHINGTON — The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) awarded Maxar a five-year contract worth up to $192 million to supply satellite imagery to U.S. allied countries, the company announced Feb. 8.

The contract is an NGA initiative to provide commercial satellite imagery to partner nations. The agency did not disclose what countries or how many are being supported under this contract. NGA since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has played a central role coordinating the flow of commercial geospatial intelligence to Ukraine and multiple allied countries. 

Maxar under the new contract will supply high-resolution electro-optical, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and 3D data products.

U.S. allies will have on-demand access to high-resolution satellite imagery and analytics, the company said. They also will get Maxar’s enhanced 3D immersive maps that combine satellite imagery with video to replicate real-world locations.

Maxar also will provide these foreign customers with SAR imagery — which can see through clouds and bad weather — from partner companies that it did not disclose. 

“Maxar’s high-resolution 2D and 3D imagery and data products are integral for high-confidence mapping, planning and operational support, helping end users make faster, better decisions and saving lives, resources and time,” said Tony Frazier, Maxar’s executive vice president and general manager of public sector Earth intelligence.

Headquartered in Westminster, Colorado, Maxar operates four high-resolution imaging satellites. The company last year won a $3.2 billion deal from the National Reconnaissance Office to supply satellite imagery to the U.S. government over the next 10 years.

Sandra Erwin writes about military space programs, policy, technology and the industry that supports this sector. She has covered the military, the Pentagon, Congress and the defense industry for nearly two decades as editor of NDIA’s National Defense...