In the commercial space imagery industry, competition is heating up as companies strive to hold onto their dominant positions and profit margins. Maxar Technologies, the largest supplier of satellite photos and other imagery to commercial and government customers, recently went private in a $6.4 billion deal with private equity fund Advent International. This move allows Maxar more flexibility in making business decisions and to rely less on stock markets for capital. However, rival SpaceX has announced a new subsidiary called Starshield to provide enhanced versions of Starlink technology and larger earth-imaging satellites to provide whatever sensing capabilities a national security customer wants. This includes photos, real-time video and all manner of data which satellite sensors can collect. This new subsidiary aims to take business away from commercial firms like Blacksky and Maxtar that already have government contracts for persistent imaging. The market for OSINT is constantly evolving, and companies are competing to stay at the forefront of the industry.… Read More Uncovering the Intelligence Community’s Battle for OSINT Dominance: An Analysis by News Monitors