Kristen Smith 
The U.S. Geological Survey has awarded KBR a potential five-year, $350 million contract to provide technical support services for the agency’s Earth Resources Observation and Science, or EROS, Center in South Dakota. KBR said Monday that the service delivery aims to modernize the USGS operations using advanced technologies.
Mark Kavanaugh, the president of defense, intel and space at KBR, described the contract work as “a step forward in how technology can help promote humanity’s understanding and stewardship of the Earth.”
“By integrating AI, cloud-native systems and next-generation engineering, we’re helping enable USGS to deliver faster, smarter and more resilient solutions to address natural resource management and disaster response,” he added.
What Work Is Covered by the USGS EROS Contract?
The contract covers satellite operations for existing Landsat missions and the development and operation of associated ground systems at the EROS Center.
Support services include systems engineering, software development, operations and maintenance, satellite data acquisition, data preservation and distribution, project management, communications and outreach, and scientific applications of satellite remote sensing data.
USGS received eight offers for the contract scheduled to run from June 2, 2026, through June 1, 2031.
How Does the Contract Relate to Landsat Next?
USGS awarded the contract as it prepares for Landsat Next, a planned three-satellite constellation expected to launch around 2030.
The program is designed to expand Landsat’s capabilities by increasing spatial resolution, shortening revisit times and increasing the number of spectral bands available for analysis.
