BlackSky Inks Partnership with United Nations to Enhance Global Decision-Making

BlackSky has established an official partnership with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). UNITAR, created in 1965, is an autonomous body within the United Nations that was formed to develop capacities to enhance global decision-making and support country-level action for shaping a better future.

“With BlackSky’s constellation, we not only have access to more information, but we also have access to it much faster than ever before,” said Nikhil Seth, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General, and Executive Director of UNITAR. “Our vision as an organization is to live in a world in which knowledge-empowered people can achieve results to overcome global challenges, and BlackSky’s service enables us to do this better.”

BlackSky officially announced its commercial entry into satellite imagery in June 2015, with initial operating capability of a 60-satellite constellation by 2017, allowing the company to provide cost-effective, high-resolution, rapid-revisit satellite imaging services, capturing all of the Earth’s populated area.

Through BlackSky’s revolutionary constellation, UNITAR and BlackSky will work in tandem to explore how imaging can be applied to humanitarian relief, human security, climate change adaptation, sustainable water management, territorial management, high priority peace-keeping missions, maritime monitoring of illegal activity, and more.

BlackSky Executive Vice President and General Manager, Rakesh Narasimhan, stated, “BlackSky is the first satellite imaging company of its kind to jointly explore new ways of leveraging the information collected from our satellite images to help achieve UNITAR’s many missions. This partnership is the first step in establishing a long standing relationship with UNITAR with a commitment to positively impact our joint customers.”