The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) announced the first tranche of three awards under its Strategic Commercial Enhancements Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) for advanced commercial remote sensing capabilities. This innovative acquisition approach marks NRO’s shift to multi-phenomenology solutions, including electrooptical (EO), hyperspectral imaging (HSI), radar, radio frequency (RF), and Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR), to deliver emerging technologies at the speed of mission and industry.

“The NRO is always looking for innovative ways to bring on new partners,” Dr. Chris Scolese, director of the NRO, said. “The CSO is a flexible contracting mechanism that enables us to bring in new ideas and technologies. This helps ensure we have access to the latest technologies to advance our mission.”

Companies receiving awards include HEO for non-Earth imagery, SatVu for medium wave infrared imagery, and Sierra Nevada Corporation for RF capabilities. These selections highlight NRO’s commitment to dismantling traditional barriers and fostering efficient pathways for industry engagement. An alternate acquisition approach to Broad Agency Announcements, CSOs can be used to acquire innovative commercial items, technologies, or services that directly meet NRO requirements.

NRO released the final request for proposal for this CSO in July 2025, marking a first for NRO Commercial Systems Program Office (CSPO) and introducing an opportunity to reach a broader marketplace that leverages non-traditional providers. The CSO includes a two-stage awards process: the first stage focuses on modeling and simulation, while the second focuses on assessing on-orbit capabilities and growing operational products to support mission needs. Budget permitting, NRO anticipates issuing additional awards later this year to expand these multi-phenomenology capabilities.

“The NRO is using a variety of acquisition processes and contract models to bring in new talent and providers and cut the time from concept to delivery,” CSPO Director Pete Meund said. “We are excited to continue advancing our mission by gaining new commercial capabilities and strengthening ties with commercial providers, while collaborating closely with our mission partners.”

These awards follow prior Strategic Commercial Enhancements efforts, including five commercial EO contracts in December 2023, six hyperspectral imaging contracts in March 2023, six RF contracts in September 2022, and five radar contracts in January 2022. The Strategic Commercial Enhancement effort CSO framework accelerates NRO’s integration of commercial innovations, creating agile opportunities for industry to support intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions.

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