Kristen Smith 
Vantor, formerly known as Maxar Intelligence, has secured a new U.S. Space Force contract to provide continuous tracking of high-interest space objects that may change orbit or pass through “blind spots” beyond the reach of ground-based sensor networks. Under the contract, awarded under the Space Force’s Joint Commercial Operations program, Vantor will use its spatial intelligence capabilities to enable consistent, visual-based monitoring of orbital objects and enhance space domain awareness, according to a press release published Wednesday.
What Capabilities Will Vantor Provide Under the Contract?
Through its non-Earth imagery, or NEI, technology, also known as space-to-space imaging, Vantor will deliver data on the position and trajectory of space objects like satellites or debris in orbit. Vantor’s satellites work to capture imagery of other spacecraft at a resolution of less than 10 centimeters from hundreds of kilometers away.
“Vantor’s unique visual-based space domain awareness capabilities serve as a critical complement to traditional sensor networks, providing real-time intelligence that allows customers like Space Force to achieve persistent Space Domain Awareness,” said Susanne Hake, senior vice president and general manager for U.S. government at Vantor. “Our NEI capability serves as a foundation for advanced orbital intelligence, delivering vital insights about the state and directional paths of objects in LEO—providing a critical national security advantage in a domain that is increasingly congested and contested.”
What Other Programs Has Vantor Been Selected For?
Vantor is among the awardees of the Office of Space Commerce’s “Commercial COLA Gap” Pathfinder program, which focuses on mitigating collision risks during the post-launch window when new satellites lack precise tracking data. The company’s NEI and SDA tools will help fill this information gap by providing visual-based intelligence to improve orbital safety and coordination among launch providers and satellite operators.
Vantor has also been included in the U.S. Space Force Domain Awareness Tools, Applications and Processing Lab’s Apollo Accelerator Cohort 6, where it will automatically task high-resolution NEI to support rapid decision-making for orbital threat assessment.
