BlackSky Secures One-Year Renewal of EOCL Contract with NRO
BlackSky Technology has secured a one-year extension with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) for the Electro-Optical Commercial Layer (EOCL) agreement concerning its satellite imagery. BlackSky disclosed this extension on January 14, noting that it materialized one year ahead of expectations.
In 2022, BlackSky was selected for the EOCL agreement alongside Maxar and Planet, marking the largest commercial imagery contract initiative to date, enhancing the NRO’s methods of procuring commercial capabilities. This prolongs BlackSky’s obligations until mid-2026, entering the fourth year of the decade-long agreement.
With this extension, BlackSky stated it will implement “improved ground architecture functionalities to elevate image accessibility and functionality, providing more prompt notifications regarding intended collection status.”
“Our client’s proactive commitment signifies ongoing trust in BlackSky as a reliable mission collaborator as the NRO advances in utilizing commercial space technology to bolster national security with a smooth transition towards integrating our forthcoming Gen-3 capabilities,” remarked BlackSky CEO Brian O’Toole.
BlackSky’s role in this contract has significantly influenced the company’s revenue enhancement over recent years. The 10-year agreement with BlackSky holds a potential value of up to $1.021 billion. At the time of its announcement in 2022, it included a five-year foundational subscription with an initial worth of $85.5 million.
Aside from this NRO collaboration, BlackSky is also engaged with the U.S. Space Force via its Global Data Marketplace (GDM), enabling the Space Force to acquire commercial analytics. BlackSky recently declared it has obtained several contracts under the Space Force pilot initiative.
