The NRO awarded three contracts this week, adding to its stable of commercial remote sensing firms that can contribute to national security and intelligence efforts.
The contracts, announced on Tuesday, are intended to allow the intel agency to access multiple remote sensing phenomenologies from EO to RF and beyond.
“The NRO is always looking for innovative ways to bring on new partners,” NRO Director Chris Scolese said in a statement. “The [Commercial Solutions Opening] CSO is a flexible contracting mechanism that enables us to bring in new ideas and technologies. This helps ensure we have access to the latest technologies to advance our mission.”
Drumroll, please: The three companies who received awards in the first tranche of office’s Strategic Commercial Enhancements CSO program are:
- HEO, which captures non-Earth imagery of objects in space;
- SatVu, which collects medium wave infrared imagery;
- Sierra Nevada Corporation, which offers RF sensing capabilities.
The NRO did not release the value of the awards.
Flashback: While this is the first tranche of awards under the CSO effort, the Strategic Commercial Enhancement program has previously issued contracts to commercial companies, including:
- Five EO contracts in December 2023
- Six hyperspectral imaging contracts in March 2023
- Six RF contracts in September 2022
- Five radar contracts in January 2022
What’s next: The NRO said it anticipates awarding more contracts under the CSO framework this year—if the budget allows.
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