In today’s rapidly evolving global landscape, the nature of conflict has become increasingly complex and unpredictable. Traditional intelligence methods often struggle to keep pace with the speed at which situations unfold. The need for real-time, actionable intelligence has never been more critical.
BlackSky helps global defense and intelligence organizations stay one step ahead of change with real-time, space-based intelligence, giving decision makers the ability to act not just fast, but first.
What is space-based intelligence?
Space-based intelligence combines the collection and analysis of information captured from Earth observation satellites. These satellites are equipped with a variety of sensors and high-resolution cameras, providing a comprehensive view over any area of interest.
Once imagery is collected, the data is processed using advanced artificial intelligence to derive critical insights such as patterns, trends and anomalies. This analysis process quickly transforms raw information into actionable intelligence.
Space-based systems like BlackSky provide the most recent information on ongoing events, troop movement and evolving scenarios, as well as play a pivotal role in enhancing situational awareness and strategic decision making across a spectrum of applications. This real-time awareness transforms a reactionary process into a proactive, anticipatory one, giving an unparalleled edge in the face of dynamic threats.
From satellite tasking and capture to delivery and automated analysis, BlackSky achieves industry-leading speed through a unique constellation design and a dedication to end-to-end system automation.
And now BlackSky has launched the first Gen-3 satellite, providing superior intelligence faster than ever before.Â
Meet Gen-3
Gen-3 is BlackSky’s first, very high-resolution satellite designed to revolutionize how we monitor and respond to global events. Gen-3 is fast and focused, allowing customers to track assets and detect change even more quickly, more frequently and with superior clarity.
When it comes to resolution, revisit rates and delivery times, Gen-3 delivers three times more performance than BlackSky’s Gen-2 constellation. Each Gen-3 satellite delivers 35-centimeter resolution, multispectral capabilities, including shortwave infrared bands that can break through smoke and haze to capture an image.
At the core of everything is BlackSky Spectra®, an advanced analytics platform that fuses high-cadence satellite imagery with AI-driven insights. The platform gives customers the ability to revisit an area of critical interest up to 15 times per day. BlackSky Spectra automatically detects objects such as vehicles, aircraft, vessels and buildings so that users can track key activities—such as military movements, infrastructure changes and supply chain disruptions—with collection to delivery in an average of 90 minutes. Through the powerful use of automation, defense forces can adapt swiftly to emerging threats, shifting resources based on real-time data rather than delayed reconnaissance.
Exceeding expectations
The inaugural Gen-3 satellite launched on February 18, 2025, and already is changing the game of space-based intelligence. Five days after launch, BlackSky delivered the first very-high resolution images from Gen-3, far exceeding expectations and setting a new industry standard.
The company expects to begin providing sample imagery to customers by early spring, ahead of the planned schedule. With this milestone the company is on track to launch its next satellite in Q2 and expects to enter a regular cadence of Gen-3 launches throughout the year.
Intelligence at the speed of conflict
BlackSky’s Gen-3 satellites are more than just an upgrade—they represent a fundamental leap forward in how intelligence is gathered and acted upon.
By combining very high-resolution imaging, advanced spectral diversity, AI-driven analytics and real-time tasking capabilities, BlackSky provides mission-ready intelligence that gives commanders a decisive advantage. Customers can anticipate adversary actions, adjust tactics and allocate resources efficiently, skyrocketing operational effectiveness during conflict.
Learn more about Gen-3 and how it’s changing the future of defense intelligence here.
