ARTICLE: GEOSPATIAL INSIGHTS
CAPTURING REAL-TIME ECHOES OF EARTH’S HEARTBEAT Real-time persistent global monitoring enables defense and intelligence organizations to receive first-to-know insights that can be used for critical, mission-specific decision-making. By Brian E. O’Toole Using high-revisit satellite imagery, BlackSky’s Spectra AI has detected the utilization of major facilities at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport. Parking spaces shown in green are rarely used, while red indicates frequent occupancy. BlackSky customers can also understand inflow/outflow of cargo and monitor airline maintenance activity
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ith rapidly changing economics and evolving technologies, real-time geospatial insights have become an affordable reality. In fact, 60-minute average revisit rate and 90-minute average product delivery are almost here. Global monitoring can provide patternof-life intelligence beyond what has been possible with traditional image collection. Emerging Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) techniques make it possible to process millions of observations daily from Space, air, environmental sensors, asset tracking sensors, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and Internet-enabled narrative sources to automatically deliver situational awareness within minutes of an alert or an event. 46 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | March-April 2021
Real-time persistent global monitoring enables defense and intelligence organizations to receive first-to-know insights that can be used for critical, mission-specific decision-making, which can have far-reaching implications. The process of convergence of significant foundational elements to move geospatial capabilities forward has already started. This convergence of geospatial information, using a network of sensors, signals and predictive analytics, is the basis of BlackSky’s Spectra AI platform. It provides deep levels of awareness for a constantly changing world. The company’s satellite constellation offers advanced tasking and a high revisit rate that provides enhanced situational awareness and enables
monitoring for pattern-of-life incongruities, which can impact missions and decisions.
Persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance
BlackSky is already harnessing the power of unique geospatial information through its work with several defense and intelligence organizations and programs. Under the AFWERX Persistent ISR Challenge, we aim to create a comprehensive Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) system that covers the entire globe. The US Air Force and Department of Defense are using end-to-end persistent ISR monitoring solutions to support their find, fix, track and assess missions. In these missions, the global monitoring and intelli-
