Maxar Intelligence unveils first images from next-generation WorldView Legion satellites

Satellite image released July 18, 2024, of San Francisco City Hall. Solar panels are seen on top of the building and lane markings through intersections and streetlamps. Credit: Maxar Technologies

WASHINGTON — Maxar Intelligence, a provider of geospatial intelligence and Earth observation services, on July 18 released the first images from its WorldView Legion satellites. The inaugural pair of these advanced Earth observation satellites were launched on May 2 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

WorldView Legion is Maxar’s latest constellation of high-resolution Earth imaging satellites, designed to increase the company’s imaging capacity and revisit rates. These satellites are capable of collecting 30 cm-class imagery, providing detailed views of the Earth’s surface for a wide range of applications, from defense and intelligence to urban planning and disaster response.

Maxar said the commissioning and calibration process for the first two WorldView Legion satellites is still under way. 

“Soon, our WorldView Legion satellites will be collecting vast amounts of imagery, extending our collection capacity advantage for high-resolution imagery and enhancing the revisit rate of our industry-leading constellation,” said Dan Smoot, CEO of Maxar Intelligence.

The two satellites currently in orbit are part of a planned constellation of six WorldView Legion. The company aims to have all six satellites launched an in operation by the end of 2024.

Maxar Intelligence, formed as part of a reorganization of Maxar Technologies, is the primary provider of commercial electro-optical imagery to the U.S. government. In 2022, Maxar secured a $3.2 billion contract with the National Reconnaissance Office to supply imagery and mapping services over the next decade.

Sandra Erwin writes about military space programs, policy, technology and the industry that supports this sector. She has covered the military, the Pentagon, Congress and the defense industry for nearly two decades as editor of NDIA’s National Defense…
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