WASHINGTON — Maxar Intelligence, the operator of Earth observation satellites, has divested a small portion of its business focused on supporting the U.S. government’s secret sensor programs. This company was acquired by ARKA Group, a government contractor based in Danbury, Connecticut.
ARKA announced last week the acquisition of Maxar’s Radar and Sensor Technology (RST) group located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. This group has deep experience 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 Maxar Intelligence spokesman said the sale does not mean the company is exiting the SAR business. “SAR remains an important part of our commercial product roadmap, integrating SAR missions and products into our portfolio, and our partnership with Umbra is part of this continued focus,” the spokesperson said.
Umbra is a commercial provider of SAR images. 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 technology businesses into its programs focused on remote sensing technologies that include SAR, moving target indicator, and other types of geospatial intelligence. Moving target signal is a radar technology used to detect and track moving objects.
“With our existing space hardware and leading software capabilities, this acquisition will allow ARKA to deliver even more robust and flexible solutions,” said Andreas Nonnenmacher, CEO of ARKA. The addition of radar and sensor technology “provides analysis and development of the next generation of SAR systems, allowing target signal movement and full geographic range products.”
ARKA in June unveiled a major expansion of its Danbury production facility focused on small satellite systems, payloads and optical coating capabilities. The facility produces telescopes and sub-meter payloads used to observe objects in space.