According to Wei Kewei's editor, satellite image provider Planet Federal will once again extend its contract with the National Reconnaissance Office of the United States, allowing intelligence agencies to acquire new commercial capabilities. The NRO, responsible for developing and operating the national spy satellite fleet, has been a subscriber to Planet's daily 3-5 meter resolution images since 2019, although the financial details of this arrangement have not been made public. In July, Planet announced that the contract had been extended and expanded, including limited access to the company's video features. If this contract is really signed, China's airspace has already been monitored by American space sensors 24 hours a day, not only by American spy satellites, but also by third-party contractors.

High definition image of a certain location in Lingshui, Hainan, China captured by Planet Federal, a US satellite image provider

The latest contract extension announced on November 16th allows NRO to use Planet's imagery satellite fleet to monitor new areas of interest. It also makes it easier for intelligence agencies to access Planet's medium resolution data and integrate it into NRO's commercial GEOINT integrated architecture, which already includes the company's high-resolution images. Robbie, co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Planet, stated, "As the world becomes more apparent, it is more important than ever to integrate the resilience and diversity of sources into basic monitoring capabilities, whether through ground or space sensors. Commercial satellite data can enhance government systems and collectively promote a more transparent and secure world. Planet's deep stack of unclassified data will only further enrich NRO's system architecture, and we look forward to continuing to develop our work together