Orbimage Defends $500 Million NextView Award

Dulles, Va.-based Orbimage Inc. plans to vigorously defend its recent award of a $500 million NextView imagery contract from the U.S. government, in response to protest filed by a business unit of rival Space Imaging of Thornton, Colo.

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) sent Orbimage a notice that its recent contract award for the development and launch of a satellite under NGA’s NextView Second Vendor program would be reviewed. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) received the complaint from New SI LLC, a competing bidder affiliated with Space Imaging. Orbimage issued a statement affirming its belief that the protest lacks merit. The company pledged to provide assistance to NGA in defense of the contract, and Orbimage officials expressed confidence the company will prevail in retaining the award.

NGA has directed Orbimage to continue working under the contract while the protest proceeds.

For further details about this protest, read the Nov. 1 issue of Satellite News’ Government Procurement Report. For more information on subscribing to Access Intelligence’s satellite industry publications, visit us on the Web at https://www.satellitetoday.com. To sign up for a free trial subscription to Satellite News, go to http://www.telecomweb.com/cgi/catalog/trial?SN.