Non-Earth Imaging

Maxar Intelligence was the first company licensed to conduct non-Earth imaging (NEI) for both government and commercial purposes. Satellites in the Maxar constellation can collect and distribute images of space objects across the low Earth orbit (LEO)—the area ranging from 200 kilometers up to 1,000 kilometers in altitude—as well as across medium Earth orbit and geosynchronous orbit.

Our constellation is capable of imaging LEO objects at less than 6 inch resolution and can also support tracking of objects across a much wider volume of space. Taken together, these capabilities foster greater space resiliency and situational awareness for operators.

Specific solutions that Maxar’s NEI can address include:

• Space Domain Awareness – Helping identify and characterize space objects, assessing the operational environment for space operations, and supporting space-to-space and space-to-ground mission planning and training.
• Space Traffic Management – Supporting on-orbit collision risk assessment and maneuver planning, end-of-life verification and controlled de-orbit collision avoidance.
• Satellite Operations – Assisting operators with navigation safety, asset health assessments, on-orbit servicing and defunct satellite monitoring.
• National Security Missions – Providing support for the U.S. government and its allies.

In 2016, Maxar Intelligence's WorldView-2 imaging satellite was hit by a non-tracked piece of space debris. After the debris incident, the company used one of its other satellites to image WorldView-2 and determine that the damage was minimal. Maxar is proud to offer the same solution to the growing number of commercial and government customers that will benefit from the additional data for satellite operations and resiliency.

As more satellites and megaconstellations come online, understanding where and how space debris and space operations may be impacted by the growing number of objects on orbit is crucial for mission success.