The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency has awarded Vantor a $2.3 million contract to point satellites designed for photographing Earth at objects in orbit instead. The task order, announced April 1, is the first under the Luno B framework to fund non-Earth imaging, observations of satellites, debris, and other spacecraft rather than the planet's surface.
Vantor, formerly Maxar Intelligence until a rebranding last October, operates a constellation of imaging satellites that were built to map the ground. Seven of those satellites can also track objects in space, using inertial systems to reposition their sensors without burning fuel. The company said its spacecraft can capture images of other satellites at less than 10 centimeter resolution from hundreds of kilometers away, a capability the NGA and U.S. Space Force have been seeking as low Earth orbit grows more crowded.
"Space domain awareness is a literal and figurative blind spot," said Susanne Hake, executive vice president and general manager for U.S. government at Vantor, in a press release accompanying the award. "Ground-based radar cannot see everything, especially objects in certain geometries. Commercial providers with inclinations designed for Earth imaging can fill those gaps without burning fuel for the dual-role task."
The Luno B program selected 13 companies in January 2025 to compete for task orders covering geospatial intelligence, including Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, BAE Systems, BlackSky, Planet Labs Federal, and Ursa Space Systems. The indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract carries a $200 million ceiling over a five-year base period. Until now, the program's task orders had focused on Earth-facing imaging.
Vantor is a subsidiary of Advent International, which acquired Maxar in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $6.4 billion in 2023. The company reported $487.5 million in revenue in 2025) and employs roughly 1,900 people.
The company's existing satellite fleet is the key to the approach. Rather than launching dedicated space situational awareness satellites, the Luno B task order taps hardware already in orbit for Earth observation and redirects it toward orbital monitoring on an as-needed basis. The inertial repositioning system lets the satellites swing their imaging instruments from ground targets to space objects without the fuel expenditure that typically limits spacecraft maneuvering life.
Space Force and NGA have increasingly turned to commercial data providers to fill gaps in their tracking coverage as the number of active satellites in LEO has expanded rapidly. The U.S. government tracks tens of thousands of objects in orbit, but ground-based sensors have limited coverage windows and cannot monitor certain orbital geometries continuously.
Vantor said it aims to collect up to 1,000 non-Earth images per day as the program moves into 2026. The volume target reflects the operational scale the NGA is seeking from commercial providers, though the agency has not disclosed how many task orders it plans to issue under Luno B or which of the other 12 selected companies might receive them next.
The $2.3 million award is modest relative to the $200 million contract ceiling, but its significance lies in demonstrating that existing commercial imaging constellations can serve dual Earth and space observation roles without hardware modifications. Whether other Luno B awardees can replicate that capability will determine whether the program generates meaningful competition for orbital monitoring data or becomes another framework with a single active vendor.
