BlackSky at WSBW: “Pioneering Innovation is in our DNA”

Euroconsult CEO Pacôme Révillon posing with BlackSky CEO Brian O’Toole with the Pioneer in Space Business Award at World Satellite Business Week (WSBW) 2022

For almost five years now, BlackSky’s leaders have closed out each summer by attending Euroconsult’s annual World Satellite Business Week. In addition to the unparalleled executive networking and panel discussions, we have a chance to get a solid temperature check on the entire space industry. What are folks investing in? What do customers really want? What technologies are leading the way?

This year, not only was BlackSky honored that CEO Brian O’Toole was invited to speak on the Leading Operators’ 360° Growth Strategies panel, but we also received the Pioneer in Space Business Award. This award honors the most forward-thinking businesses and innovators shaping the future of the global space sector – and pioneering innovation is in BlackSky’s DNA.

O’Toole (second from right) speaks on the Leading Operators’ 360° Growth Strategies panel at WSBW 2022

We’re proud to be shaping a new chapter of innovation, as the future of the Earth Observation (EO) industry moves away from traditional mapping to dynamic monitoring. In case you missed Brian speaking in Paris, here are 3 ways in which BlackSky is pioneering innovation in real-time dynamic monitoring.

AI-enabled insight.
“BlackSky always takes a ’software-first’ approach,” O’Toole explained. “Our satellites process data ‘at the edge,’ which translates into unparalleled delivery times – featuring dawn-to-dusk, hourly revisit – and no humans in the loop during the entire tasking-to delivery experience.”

He continued: “Our constellation is more than just a collection of space-based sensors. AI is embedded throughout the constellation and our Spectra AI tasking and analytics platform fuses thousands of data sources simultaneously to deliver a single picture. Our satellites are more like nodes in a neural network.” 

Disruptive speed.

“BlackSky is putting the power of all our capability into the hands of users,” O’Toole said. “We’re all about real-time dynamic monitoring. This includes providing end users with a first to know advantage, meaning raw data and analytics delivered directly into their environments – with an average task-to-delivery time of under 90 minutes.”

Disruptive economics.

Our entire system is vertically integrated, including the constellation, ground stations, and tasking and analytics platform. As Brian described it: “The entire top-to-bottom system gives users a real-time, intelligence advantage by combining multi-modal imagery and automated AI-driven analytics get the answers you need, fast.”

“We have two more satellites going up in the next few months. We will begin launching our Gen 3 satellites in late 2023, which adds Short Wave Infrared imagery (SWIR), higher resolution, and space link capability to further reduce timelines,” he added.

Interested in learning how Spectra AI could benefit your organization? Get in touch with our sales team here.