In the letter, Sent 16 to key lawmakers on the intelligence committees in June, armed forces and appropriations, CEOs of Maxar Technologies, Planet, BlackSky, Iceye US, Capella Space and ground systems provider KSAT named in proposed cuts to National Intelligence Agency commercial imaging programs (NRO) "radical" and such, which do not correspond to the old bipartisan politics.
This reaction appeared after about that, that the Trump administration's budget proposal on 2026 year includes a reduction of approx 30% — or close to it 130 million to fund NRO's Electro-Optical Commercial Layer procurement of electro-optical imaging (EOCL). This program supports long-term contracts with Maxar, BlackSky and Planet for providing high-resolution satellite imagery to the US government.
The letter also calls the cuts strategically short-sighted in the context of competition with China.
Companies, behind the letter, stated, that over the past decade they have invested in satellite constellations and infrastructure, betting on that, that the government's constant demand will support as national security needs, and the growth of globally competitive US industry.
The letter comes after similar criticism from the US Chamber of Commerce, which warned at the beginning of this month, that the cuts could threaten America's technological leadership.
Source: https://spacenews.com/ceos-push-back-on-proposed-cuts-to-commercial-satellite-imaging-programs/