ORBIMAGE Inc. announced today that the company has been awarded a major contract by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA, formerly the National Imagery and Mapping Agency, NIMA), valued at approximately $500 million. NGA announced on September 30, 2004 that it has selected ORBIMAGE as its NextView second vendor after a competitive selection process conducted over the last six months. The contract, awarded September 30, 2004, runs through September 30, 2008 and will provide ORBIMAGE with both long-term revenue commitments as well as capital for the development of OrbView-5, ORBIMAGE's next-generation high-resolution imaging satellite. The contract, known as NextView ORBIMAGE, also assures NGA of greater access and priority to high-resolution commercial satellite imagery.
"NGA is very pleased to announce this important agreement," said NGA Director retired USAF Lieutenant General James R. Clapper, Jr. in a press release issued by NGA. "The agreement is a key development for both NGA and the commercial remote sensing industry. We need the next generation of commercial satellites to help us do our job and we look forward to working with both NextView vendors to bring this new capability to fruition."
"This NextView Second Vendor award further demonstrates NGA's commitment to forging long lasting partnerships between the U.S. Federal Government and the U.S. commercial remote sensing industry," said Matt O'Connell, CEO of ORBIMAGE. "Together with our team members, investors and international partners, I am delighted that ORBIMAGE has been selected. In addition to expanding our collaboration and solid record of accomplishment in support of NGA's critical mission, the NextView award will also accelerate the growth of ORBIMAGE's commercial business and strengthen the company as an industry leader providing cutting-edge products and services."
Team ORBIMAGE. ORBIMAGE's principal partners for the development and launch of the OrbView-5 satellite include General Dynamics (formerly Spectrum Astro), Kodak/ITT Industries and Boeing Launch Services. ORBIMAGE's partners for the ground segment include IBM and MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates of Canada.
OrbView-5 Highlights. ORBIMAGE's next-generation OrbView-5 satellite system will orbit 660 km above the Earth in a sun-synchronous orbit while collecting imagery at 0.41 meter resolution in the panchromatic (black and white) mode, and 1.64 meter resolution in the multispectral (color) mode. When OrbView-5 joins the company's OrbView-3 satellite in early 2007, the constellation will collect more than 1.2 million square kilometer of imagery per day with a combined revisit period of less than 1.5 days for any geographic target.
"Together with our business partners and distributors, ORBIMAGE plans to introduce innovative value-added products and services derived from OrbView- 5's ultra-high resolution imaging and collection capabilities," said Timothy Puckorius, ORBIMAGE's Senior Vice President for Worldwide Marketing and Sales. "ORBIMAGE has a long heritage in developing products, engineering solutions and services to serve both our government and commercial customers. While we continue to expand revenues derived from OrbView-2 and OrbView-3, it's clear that OrbView-5 will provide even greater capabilities and capacity and to all our customers."
About ORBIMAGE:
ORBIMAGE is a leading global provider of Earth imagery products and services, with digital remote sensing satellites and an integrated worldwide image receiving, processing and distribution network. In addition to the high- resolution OrbView-3 satellite, ORBIMAGE operates the OrbView-2 ocean and land multispectral imaging satellite and the SeaStar Fisheries Information Service, which provides maps derived from essential oceanographic information to aid in commercial fishing. ORBIMAGE also produces value-added imagery products and advanced photogrammetric engineering services at its St. Louis facility. The company distributes its products directly to the U.S. government for national security and related mapping applications. Commercial sales are handled through a worldwide network of value-added resellers, regional distributors, sales agents, and select strategic partners.
For more information about ORBIMAGE, please see our web site at http://www.orbimage.com.
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