Airbus is eyeing a bigger pie in the American geospatial intelligence and imagery market with the establishment of a new entity in the US. Interestingly, it has an independent board of directors comprising prominent members from the US defense community.
The new entity, called Airbus US Space & Defense Inc, will be headed by Chris Emerson, formerly the President of Airbus Helicopters Inc, and integrates all of Airbus’s US operations. The organization will offer capabilities in low-cost satellite design and manufacturing, space exploration, geospatial intelligence, space-based sensors and equipment, secure communications and High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite technology.
“Leveraging our decades of experience delivering Lakotas to the US Army, we have reorganized our US operations also to optimize our ability to support the growing US space and intelligence markets… we are building on the global Airbus portfolio of innovative technologies for the US, with reliability and commitment to our customers’ mission needs,” Emerson said in a statement.
The move come on the back of the US Department of Defense spearheading a transformation in national security space. On May 19, the US Department of Commerce released new regulations to improve the licensing process for private satellite remote sensing operations in the country, a move intended to ensure continued US leadership in commercial space industry.
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Prominent US defense community members on board
So far, the Netherlands-headquartered Airbus had a Special Security Agreement with the US government, that allowed it to work with US government entities, including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), and all of the service branches of the US armed forces. However, the decision to incorporate a US entity and appoint an independent board of directors of US citizens allows it now to participate in highly sensitive national security and defense requirements.
The independent board of directors includes prominent names from the US defense community, such as Letitia Long, Former Director of the NGA; Frank Miller, Former Department of Defense (DOD) Senior Executive and Special Assistant to President George W. Bush; William L. Shelton, Former Commander of the Air Force Space Command; Mark Sirangelo, Member of the DoD Defense Innovation Board and previous head of Sierra Nevada Space Systems; Rear Adm. Kevin Sweeney, U.S. Navy (Ret), Former Chief of Staff to the Secretary of Defense.
One of Emerson’s primary focus will be to spruce up the company’s US-based geospatial intelligence business. The company has already obtained a license from the Commerce Department that allows it to sell high-resolution imagery and data analytics to the government as well as commercial customers.
Space technologies and production
In addition to defense deals, the company is also eyeing to business in satellite manufacturing and other technologies required by NASA for its space exploration efforts.
“We will position the new business to meet the growing demands of the US space market, blending longstanding expertise in space systems and exploration with commercial investments and an entrepreneurial spirit,” Emerson said.
The recent financing for OneWeb enables continued production of the OneWeb constellation in the high-volume, high-speed advanced satellite production facility operated by Airbus OneWeb Satellites in Florida. “Airbus is thrilled to continue to leverage this low-cost capability in the US to support the growing demand from US customers for low-Earth orbit constellations,” he added.
