Licensing2024-12-04confirmed

National Reconnaissance Office × Umbra

The NRO awarded Umbra the Stage III option of its Strategic Commercial Enhancements (SCE) contract for commercial radar capabilities. [53] This two-year contract extension, running from July 2024 to July 2026, focuses on scaling the delivery of Umbra's high-resolution SAR data for U.S. government intelligence and defense needs. [53, 76] The NRO also awarded similar extensions to Capella Space and ICEYE US. [76]

Price paid
Not disclosed
Losing bid
Per unit
no meaningful ratio

The asset

Scaled delivery of commercial Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data to the U.S. Government for intelligence and defense applications. [53, 55]

The record

Seller status
Going concern
Sector
Satellite remote sensing
Modalities
satellite imagery, SAR data
Jurisdiction
US

What it means if you hold data

This award solidifies the role of commercial SAR providers as a key component of the U.S. national security overhead architecture. Moving to Stage III indicates the NRO's confidence in Umbra's data quality and its intent to transition from short-term studies to a more enduring program of record for commercial radar data. [55, 76]

Sources