BlackSky Wins Five-Year NGA Luno A Contract Valued Up to $290 Million to Monitor Global Economic Activity and Military Capability

Rhea-AI Summary

BlackSky Technology Inc. (NYSE: BKSY) has been awarded a five-year, up to $290 million multi-award indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity NGA contract called Luno A. The contract focuses on monitoring global economic and environmental activity and military capability using high-cadence, rapid revisit satellite imagery and AI-driven change-detection analytics.

BlackSky will provide analytical services to detect and identify objects of interest, use its satellite constellation for change-monitoring services over critical infrastructure, and leverage its broad area search capability to automatically detect changes to the Earth. The contract also supports the development of new products, data, and services, including novel AI solutions.

This contract is a follow-on to the NGA's $60 million Economic Indicator Monitoring (EIM) contract awarded in 2021. BlackSky's CEO, Brian O'Toole, stated that the Luno A contract validates the demand for their commercial real-time, AI-driven dynamic monitoring services at scale.

Positive

• Awarded a five-year contract valued up to $290 million by NGA
• Contract validates demand for BlackSky's AI-driven monitoring services
• Opportunity to develop new AI solutions and predictive analytics
• BlackSky currently monitors over 30 million square kilometers of Earth's surface for NGA
• Follow-on contract to previous $60 million EIM contract, indicating continued partnership with NGA

Negative

• None.

Insights

Financial Analyst

BlackSky's $290 million NGA contract win is a significant development, representing over 300% of the company's current market cap. This multi-year agreement provides substantial revenue visibility and validates BlackSky's AI-driven satellite imagery capabilities. The contract's scope, covering global economic, environmental and military monitoring, positions BlackSky as a key player in the geospatial intelligence market. The follow-on nature of this contract, expanding from the previous $60 million EIM contract, demonstrates the NGA's growing confidence in BlackSky's services. This deal could potentially transform BlackSky's financial outlook, providing a steady revenue stream and enhancing its competitive position in the industry. Investors should note the contract's potential to drive growth and improve the company's financial stability, though execution and margin details will be important to watch in upcoming financial reports.

Tech Expert

BlackSky's AI-driven dynamic monitoring services represent a significant technological advancement in satellite imagery analysis. The company's ability to automatically detect and identify changes over vast areas using proprietary broad area search capabilities is particularly noteworthy. This technology enables more frequent and cost-effective monitoring compared to traditional methods, which is important for applications like tracking climate change, wildfires and human activities. The contract's emphasis on developing new AI solutions and managing large data volumes indicates BlackSky's potential to further innovate in this space. The unclassified nature of the data, allowing easy sharing with partners and allies, could lead to expanded use cases and market opportunities. However, investors should consider the competitive landscape and the pace of technological advancements in this sector, as maintaining a technological edge will be important for BlackSky's long-term success.

Indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract validates demand for BlackSky’s ability to deliver industry-leading commercial real-time, AI-driven monitoring services at scale

HERNDON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- BlackSky Technology Inc. (NYSE: BKSY) was awarded a five-year, up to $290 million multi-award indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity NGA contract to monitor global economic and environmental activity and military capability using high-cadence, rapid revisit satellite imagery and AI-driven change-detection analytics.

Under the contract, BlackSky expects to provide analytical services that detect and identify objects of interest such as aircraft, ships, vehicles, and shipping containers. BlackSky will use its current and future time-diverse satellite constellation to provide change-monitoring services over critical infrastructure. BlackSky will leverage its proprietary broad area search capability to automatically detect and identify changes to the Earth resulting from human and natural activities such as deforestation, construction, mining, flooding and other phenomena that contribute to climate change or wildfires.

“The Luno A contract validates demand for BlackSky’s commercial real-time, AI-driven dynamic monitoring services at massive scale,” said Brian O’Toole, BlackSky CEO. “BlackSky’s first-of-its-kind space-based intelligence system delivers answers to our customers’ most pressing questions at industry-leading speed and economics.”

The contract also supports the development of new and emerging products, data and services such as novel AI solutions and techniques to manage large volumes of data, generate insights and develop predictive analytics. BlackSky’s scalable and cost-effective approach to artificial intelligence gives customers the ability to run data-intensive broad area search inquiries more frequently compared to traditional solutions.

“BlackSky’s commitment to automation across our entire architecture has had the cumulative effect of generating new, foundational machine learning tools for the U.S. government that will advance the key areas of focus for Luno A,” said O’Toole. “Today, BlackSky monitors over more than 30 million square kilometers of the Earth’s surface for the NGA.”

BlackSky’s easy-to-access, subscription-based services will support the NGA’s efforts to modernize workflows and seamlessly integrate data and services into its enterprise capabilities. The NGA has indicated that the unclassified nature of commercial data will ensure that Luno A products, data, and services are easily shareable with key partners and allies across the globe.

Luno A is the follow-on contract to the NGA’s $60 million Economic Indicator Monitoring (EIM) contract which was originally awarded in 2021. The EIM contract focused on purchasing commercial data as services to integrate into the NGA’s machine learning and artificial intelligence efforts. BlackSky won six competitive delivery orders under the EIM program.

About BlackSky

BlackSky is a leading provider of real-time geospatial intelligence. BlackSky delivers on-demand, high frequency imagery, monitoring and analytics of the most critical and strategic locations, economic assets, and events in the world.

BlackSky designs, owns and operates one of the industry’s leading low earth orbit small satellite constellations, optimized to capture imagery cost-efficiently where and when our customers need it. BlackSky’s Spectra AI software platform processes data from BlackSky’s constellation and from other third-party sensors to develop the critical insights and analytics that our customers require.

BlackSky is relied upon by U.S. and international government agencies, commercial businesses, and organizations around the world. BlackSky is headquartered in Herndon, VA, and is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange as BKSY. To learn more, visit www.blacksky.com and follow us on X (formerly Twitter).

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws with respect to BlackSky. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections, and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this document. If any of these risks materialize or underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements reflect our expectations, plans, or forecasts of future events and views as of the date of this communication. We anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause their assessments to change. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any subsequent date, and we do not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. Additional risks and uncertainties are identified and discussed in BlackSky’s disclosure materials filed from time to time with the SEC which are available at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov or on BlackSky’s Investor Relations website at https://ir.blacksky.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241003764382/en/

Investor Contact

Aly Bonilla

VP, Investor Relations

abonilla@blacksky.com

Media Contact

Pauly Cabellon

Sr. Director, External Communications

bksypr@blacksky.com

Source: BlackSky Technology Inc.

FAQ

What is the value and duration of BlackSky's (BKSY) new NGA contract?

BlackSky (BKSY) has been awarded a five-year contract valued up to $290 million by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA).

What services will BlackSky (BKSY) provide under the Luno A contract?

Under the Luno A contract, BlackSky (BKSY) will provide monitoring of global economic and environmental activity and military capability using satellite imagery and AI-driven analytics, including detection and identification of objects of interest and change-monitoring services.

How does the Luno A contract compare to BlackSky's (BKSY) previous NGA contract?

The Luno A contract is a follow-on to BlackSky's (BKSY) previous $60 million Economic Indicator Monitoring (EIM) contract awarded by NGA in 2021, representing a significant increase in contract value.

What area does BlackSky (BKSY) currently monitor for the NGA?

According to the press release, BlackSky (BKSY) currently monitors over 30 million square kilometers of the Earth's surface for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA).