Maxar Intelligence divests sensor technology business to ARKA Group - SpaceNews

WASHINGTON — Earth observation satellite operator Maxar Intelligence has divested a small part of its business focused on supporting classified U.S. government sensor programs. That business has been acquired by ARKA Group, a government contractor based in Danbury, Connecticut.

ARKA last week announced the acquisition of Maxar’s Radar and Sensor Technology (RST) group located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. This group has deep expertise supporting U.S. government-led synthetic aperture radar (SAR) programs. SAR is a type of remote sensing technology that uses radar to create high-resolution images of the Earth’s surface.

A spokesperson for Maxar Intelligence said the sale does not mean the company is exiting the SAR business. “SAR is still an important part of our commercial product roadmap, integrating SAR tasking and products into our portfolio, and our partnership with Umbra is part of that continued focus,” the spokesperson said.

Umbra is a commercial provider of SAR imagery. Maxar Intelligence operates high-resolution electro-optical imaging satellites and integrates SAR data from Umbra into its products.

ARKA will transition Maxar’s Radar and Sensor Technologies business to its programs focused on remote sensing techniques involving SAR, moving target indication and other types of geospatial intelligence. Moving target indication is a radar technique used to detect and track objects in motion.

“With our existing space hardware and leading software capabilities, this acquisition will allow ARKA to provide more powerful and flexible solutions,” said ARKA’s chief executive Andreas Nonnenmacher. The addition of Radar and Sensor Technology brings “analytics and development of the next generation of SAR systems, allowing for moving target indication and full spectrum geoint products.”

ARKA in June unveiled a major expansion of its production facility in Danbury focused on small satellite systems, payloads and optical coating capabilities. The facility produces sub-meter telescopes and payloads used to monitor objects in space.

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... More by Sandra Erwin