Finnish Earth observation data provider ICEYE has won a five-year contract with NASA to provide radar satellite imagery for Earth science and research purposes.
ICEYE owns and operates the world’s largest constellation of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites. The 38-satellite constellation offers near real-time insights both during the day and at night for a variety of different applications.
On 9 September 2024, the company announced that it had signed a five-year contract with NASA to provide SAR data to NASA for Earth science and research applications. The contract was awarded through the agency’s Commercial Smallsat Data Acquisition programme. According to the company, it is a “continuation of ICEYE’s delivery of data.”
In April 2023, NASA awarded the company a five-year Blanket Purchase Agreement to provide SAR data for evaluation to determine whether or not it was suitable for “advancing NASA’s science and application goals.” In August 2023, the company announced that it had received its first task order from NASA.
“NASA is excited to evaluate ICEYE data in the context of our Earth Science Research, Analysis, and Applications portfolios,” said NASA CSDA program scientist Will McCarty at the time. “With the advent of SAR from commercial sources like ICEYE, we are interested in how these small satellite constellations can complement existing NASA datasets and capabilities.”
Despite being just 18 months into the five-year evaluation period, NASA appears to be satisfied enough with its findings to offer ICEYE a 5-year fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity, multiple-award contract.
“NASA researchers, collaborating scientists, and academic partners will enjoy expanded access to a reliable, accurate radar data stream from the world’s largest commercial SAR constellation,” said Eric Jensen, CEO of ICEYE’s US subsidiary. “We look forward to enabling the scientific discoveries that lie ahead.”
