National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (that) is opening up more of its programs to commercial providers, as it seeks faster access to satellite data and AI-based analysis (NE).
In recent years, the agency has shifted to buying data and analytics from private companies instead of developing systems in-house. This strategy is reflected in the following programs, like Luno, which contracts with vendors to provide AI-enabled geospatial intelligence products, obtained from satellite images and other sources. 3 May 2026 2018, NGA Deputy Director Brett Markham said during his speech at the GEOINT Symposium,
that innovation in computer vision and data analysis is increasingly concentrated in the private sector, in particular, in startups and small business representatives, therefore, the agency is trying to expand access to these programs.
The Luno program is central to the agency's strategy. Unlike the traditional purchase of raw images, Luno is intended for the purchase of ready-made intelligence products, such as change detection, object monitoring and activity analysis, created with the help of AI and other analytics tools. The program is structured through multi-vendor contracts, which allows NGA to scale services and engage new partners as technology evolves. Luno A focuses on infrastructure monitoring and change detection, while the Luno B is aimed at human domain monitoring and broader situational awareness.
To accelerate the adoption of commercial technologies, NGA created the Office of Rapid Capabilities (Rapid Capabilities Office). It is designed to simplify procurement and bring the latest technologies into operational use more quickly. Initial priorities include rapid prototyping of commercial AI tools, in particular computer vision systems and large language models, which can automate analytical tasks, time sensitive.
The NGA is also looking to expand the participation of smaller companies. The agency encourages companies to join its Mentorship Program (Mentor-Protégé Program), which matches small businesses with experienced contractors to develop technical capabilities and compete for future contracts. At the same time, the agency is restoring parts of its staff after layoffs, related to last year's nationwide DOGE efficiency campaign. NGA is hiring specialists in the following areas, like data engineering and AI.
Source: https://spacenews.com