Miles Jamison
Albedo, a portfolio company of Booz Allen Hamilton’s Booz Allen Ventures, has launched the first commercial satellite to operate in very low Earth orbit, or VLEO.
Advancing Commercial Space Technology
The McLean, Virginia-based company said Wednesday the deployment of the Clarity-1 satellite in VLEO, occurring just over a year after Booz Allen Venture’s investment in Albedo, signifies a major leap in commercial space technology.
Clarity-1 is capable of providing 10-centimeter visible and 2-meter thermal imagery from VLEO. These high resolutions, previously exclusive to aircraft and drones, will help revolutionize Earth observation by providing different perspectives of the planet beyond those of traditional methods.
The Albedo satellite’s capabilities, supported by a Strategic Funding Increase contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory, also contribute to space domain awareness and can be instrumental in the development of the government’s space strategy. In particular, the technology can be used to strengthen national security capabilities.
“Albedo’s rapid trajectory from investment to launch demonstrates the speed to outcomes that is critical for national security. We are excited to actively bring these capabilities to the U.S. government,” said Brian MacCarthy, managing director of Booz Allen Ventures.
“The launch of Clarity-1 is a pivotal moment for the space industry,” stated Chris Bogdan, executive vice president at Booz Allen. “The ability to collect ultra-high-resolution data at a fraction of the cost and timeline of traditional satellites is a transformational shift in space technology,” he added.
“Ultra-high-resolution data will be essential for delivering the necessary intelligence and analytics to inform our nation’s decision-making,” said Winston Tri, co-founder and chief product officer at Albedo. “As Albedo accelerates its vision to provide unparalleled geospatial insights, we look forward to an ongoing partnership with Booz Allen,” he added.
