Visual data image by Vantor

Vantor, a global spatial intelligence company building an AI-powered imaging satellite constellation, won a key contract win from the U.S. Space Force to support its Joint Commercial Operations program by providing tracking of high-interest objects that pass through ‘blind spots’ in space that are not visible to ground sensor networks. Vantor announced the contract award, Oct. 22.

Under the terms of the contract, Vantor will utilize its high-resolution imagery of space objects, also known as non-Earth imagery (NEI), to deliver key information about an object’s position and trajectory. The crucial observations will allow Space Force to maintain persistent custody of the high-interest objects and will be particularly useful in situations where an object has the potential to change orbit––a situation that could endanger the safety of U.S. assets in space.

“Vantor’s unique visual-based space domain awareness capabilities serve as a critical complement to traditional sensor networks, providing real-time intelligence that allows customers like Space Force to achieve persistent Space Domain Awareness. Our NEI capability serves as a foundation for advanced orbital intelligence, delivering vital insights about the state and directional paths of objects in LEO––providing a critical national security advantage in a domain that is increasingly congested and contested,” Susanne Hake, Senior Vice President & General Manager, U.S. Government, Vantor, said in a statement.

Vantor is designing its intelligence constellation with the ability to revisit the same location on Earth up to 15x per day and collect nearly 7 million square kilometers of commercial imagery daily, the equivalent of Australia’s landmass. The data collected by Vantor’s constellation will be stored in its “AI-ready living digital replica of Earth,” which customers can access in order to make critical decisions. Financial details of the award were not disclosed.