BlackSky has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Department of Defense. The $2 million contract was awarded by Axient on behalf of the Air Force Research Laboratory, according to a report in Space News.
The contract focuses on the collection and annotation of thousands of multi-frame burst images from BlackSky. These images will be utilized to train artificial intelligence models designed to identify and track moving targets using commercial motion imagery, says BlackSky.
The contract includes access to the BlackSky Spectra platform, providing tasking and analytics services. The Defense Department intends to use BlackSky’s imagery and analytics for exercises, technology demonstrations, and operations, aiming to improve situational awareness and decision-making.
The technology used by BlackSky captures images in sequence as a satellite moves over a target area. This method captures different angles in seconds, allowing for the creation of 3D models and precise movement detection analytics.