Commercial Innovation Center (CIC)

We Are Better Together

Our Commercial Innovation Center (CIC) is a first-of-its-kind, online development and test platform that provides a secure, virtual, open ecosystem and test sandbox for developers and researchers. We do it by harnessing the combined powers of commercial remote sensing, unclassified open datasets, cloud technologies, in a secure development ecosystem fueled by new, emerging, and seasoned tools, services and data to create solutions that keep our nation safe. The Riverside Research CIC is the place where commercial subject matter experts come together securely to collaborate and create the best commercial solutions to real world scenarios before they're integrated and deployed in the field.

Together, we win

It’s not as much fun to play in the sandbox by yourself, right? We know from experience that it’s the collective work of many people with diverse experiences and backgrounds that create the most effective solutions. By design, the CIC encourages partnerships, increases data accessibility, integrates app development, and facilitates the creation of transition-ready prototypes. Because of our unique position as a nonprofit in the defense space, we can provide the neutral environment where collaborative innovation thrives. As demonstrated on this video, capitalizing on all commercial sensors available improves our progress towards persistent observation.

Access to rich datasets

Data is the one thing that is guaranteed to continuously grow and change. Technology entrepreneurs’ success revolves around access to these data and developing improved AI and machine learning tools creating integrated and advanced applications for businesses in support of (United States Government) USG needs.

Advanced tools and applications

Advanced tools and applications

Technology innovation in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and augmented and virtual reality present significant entrepreneurial opportunities, yet all require geospatial data for development. Early-stage entrepreneurs, academic researchers, and innovators will now have access to the large datasets that are traditionally only available to large, established industry players. Such datasets are often too costly for early-stage entrepreneurs and researchers to acquire, and even if the datasets are made available, they are often not packaged in a manner that allows innovators to work with the data—they are overwhelmingly unwieldy and non-standardized. The CIC data environment seeks to solve that problem, allowing researchers and entrepreneurs new opportunities for experimentation, testing, and training.

The CIC pairs this data with tools and services to streamline development timelines by ensuring flexible licenses are available for your R&D activities within the CIC ecosystem. As new tools and services become available, we negotiate with the vendors for early and shared access amongst our CIC participants to the latest and greatest capabilities from established vendors in the remote sensing market. This visual shows a few or our early integrators, and as new vendors are integrated, we’ll let the community know!

CIC Data Search and Discovery

Your all-access pass

The CIC supports and enables industry, scientific, academic, and governmental R&D activities by facilitating access to commercial remote sensing data. Riverside Research integrates the hardware, software, processes, data, tools, internet accesses, demonstration capabilities, and other IT infrastructure required to execute CIC participant SIBR projects and meet R&D objectives. Our CIC offers:

  • Exposure to diverse and emerging data and data types for more data scientists
  • Increased interaction between content providers and new application developers; enables cloud-hybrid, multi-INT applications
  • Lowered entry barriers by eliminating the need for a user-developed system
  • Integrated orchestration-to-analysis workflow
  • Timely teaming, technology, and tipping
  • Accelerated access and use of commercial remote sensing solutions and innovation
Right where you want it

Right where you want it

Are you looking for a cloud-hosting environment where you can easily access commercial data for development and test—all from one place to safely develop, load, and test capabilities?

Our trusted, unclassified, virtual development platform provides access to R&D-licensed commercial remote sensing phenomenologies (e.g., EO, radar, IR, RF), connects emerging and established vendors with shared application tools and services, and facilitates GEOINT, MASINT, and Multi-INT research and development. The CIC includes:

  • An ecosystem of commercial data providers (CDPs)
  • A network of application developers
  • Common R&D data and COTS/GOTS tools (e.g., loading, discovery)
  • Common testing data (curated, tagged)
  • Robust DevOps environment
  • Hybrid cloud-ready infrastructure
  • Protected intellectual property and data rights
  • Maturing secure data fabric
CIC mission, vision & values

CIC mission, vision & values

Mission: Provide data scientists and algorithm developers with a virtual development and test platform and access to new and diverse commercial remote sensing data to develop algorithms, tools, and services.

Vision: Work in the Nation’s interest to offer proven expertise and experience in commercial remote sensing to solve problems through innovation, agility, and creative thinking.

Values: Encourage partnerships and connect emerging and established users across USG and industry with shared application tools, services, and diverse commercial constellation data.

Participant Agreements: We offer access to a secure, virtual, cloud-based ecosystem to perform R&D using existing and emerging commercial sources to develop and test algorithms, tools, and services accelerating USG objectives.

Commercial Experts: We offer our commercial experience, data scientists, and phenomenology experts to support efforts using the CIC to perform commercial utility assessments, new sensor development, synthetic data V&V, data value/usability studies, and more.

Products and Services: We offer access to CIC-based products and services such as synthetic data generation, data tagging, AI/ML V&V, data compression, data geo-registration, and more.

Work With the Commercial Innovation Center
Press Inquiries About the CIC

Commercial Innovation in the News

  • Commercial Imagery
  • Satellite Launches
  • EO-MSI
  • SAR
  • HSI
  • RF
  • SSA
Commercial Imagery
Planet Labs Eyes Germany Satellite Plant Starting This Year | Aviation Week Network

Planet Labs Eyes Germany Satellite Plant Starting This Year is published in Aerospace Daily & Defense Report, an Aviation Week Intelligence Network ( ...

Jan 15,2026
Hydrosat raises $60M at a $180M valuation for its thermal satellite imaging tech

A startup building AI-based thermal infrared satellite technology to provide data for water resource management, public safety and defence ...

Jan 15,2026
SkyFi Secures Funding to Advance Access to Satellite Imagery and Analytics - SatNow

SkyFi experienced significant growth in 2025, launching custom built platforms for leading commercial satellite partners, Vantor–formerly known as ...

Jan 15,2026
Algeria Launches its Next Generation Earth Observation Satellite, ALSAT-3A

Algeria has successfully launched its sixth Earth observation satellite, ALSAT-3A, marking a significant milestone in the North African nation's ...

Jan 15,2026
Spacecoin to Run Connectivity Pilots in Kenya, Nigeria, Indonesia, and Cambodia

Spacecoin, the space startup working to build a decentralized satellite network has signed agreements to pilot satellite internet demonstrations ...

Jan 15,2026
The Fourth Meeting of the Japan-France Comprehensive Dialogue on Space

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cabinet Office, National Security Secretariat, Cabinet Satellite Intelligence Center, Ministry of Education, Culture ...

Jan 15,2026
ESA - Sentinel-2 explores night vision - European Space Agency

... imagery and imaging some parts of the planet even when the Sun is down. ... Switching on the satellite to image at night required a great deal of ...

Jan 15,2026
Malaysians joke they could be 'the next Venezuela' after US embassy's admiring post

Malaysians are poking fun at the Donald Trump administration, claiming they don't have any oil, after the US embassy posted a stunning satellite image ...

Jan 15,2026
Commercial satellite imagery exclusively sourced by India Today's OSINT team indicates ...

IndiaToday (@IndiaToday). 699 views. Commercial satellite imagery exclusively sourced by India Today's OSINT team indicates China's claims over ...

Jan 15,2026
Magnifying change: Rapid burn scar mapping with multi-resolution, multi-source satellite imagery

Delineating wildfire affected areas using satellite imagery remains challenging due to irregular and spatially heterogeneous spectral changes across ...

Jan 15,2026
Space Forge makes plasma in orbit & that's good news for technology

By demonstrating plasma generation on a free-flying commercial satellite ... Add a button. Featured image: Space Forge. News. Manufacturing Space ...

Jan 15,2026
Blackburn Makes Case for Reauthorization of National Quantum Initiative Act

... Sifting through the Clouds: Polish Researchers Will Test the Utility of Quantum Algorithms for Satellite Imagery. May 24, 2021. Keep track ...

Jan 15,2026
New OroraTech thermal sensors leverage Kepler lasers to bypass downlink delays for wildfires

Instead of sending raw heavy imagery down to be analyzed later, the satellite detects heat anomalies (wildfires) immediately and transmits the ...

Jan 15,2026
The D Brief: Greenland discussions; Russian sabotage in Europe; 'Ideological tuning' in DOD AI

... satellite imagery, video and before-and-after photography. Share This: NEXT STORY: Three 'meta trends' are reshaping warfare, INDOPACOM commander ...

Jan 15,2026
ETF Prime: Six Satellite ETF Ideas For 2026 Market Themes - ETF Trends

Artificial Intelligence · Future ETFs · China Insights · Innovative ETFs ... Davi described these as dynamic satellite ideas intended for six to 12 ...

Jan 15,2026
Musk denies awareness of Grok sexual underage images as California AG launches probe

Fischer said SkyFi used to have a harder time convincing satellite imagery providers to hand over access to their data. Now, he said, onboarding new ...

Jan 15,2026
Inside Iran, Protesters Urge Trump to Act: 'If Nothing Happens, It's a Catastrophe' | TIME

... intelligence might somehow be monitoring Starlink, the satellite internet system that circumvents the state's blackout. Trump, meanwhile ...

Jan 15,2026
From space to insight See how the area of Grassano, Italy has evolved over time through ...

... satellite imagery from 2017 to 2025. With OnGeo Intelligence ... intelligence.com/ #SatelliteImagery #Italy #RemoteSensing | OnGeo Intelligence ...

Jan 15,2026
When water becomes land; Why Parker Island is first in Save Crystal River's island restoration plan

“We feel like we can get started on Parker Island and show proof of concept,” Moore said. Parker Island satellite image. A view of Parker Island from ...

Jan 15,2026
UK's Open Cosmos beats Thiel-backed Rivada to European satellite licence

A UK satellite company has won a highly contested satellite spectrum ... intelligence. The award by the small European country gives the ...

Jan 15,2026
Satellite Launches
Satellites spy raging bushfires in Australia photo of the day for Jan. 15, 2026 | Space

... images of Earth's land and coasts that can be used to influence policies. ... launches science balloon in Antarctica | Space photo of the day for ...

Jan 15,2026
CNES Launches €1 Million AI Space Data Challenge - European Spaceflight

CNES and the Île-de-France region, which includes Paris, have launched a €1 million challenge for AI applications for analysing satellite data.

Jan 15,2026
China launches remote-sensing satellite for Algeria - Chinadaily.com.cn

Developed by the China Academy of Space Technology, another CASC subsidiary, AlSat-3A is designed to collect data and images to support land-use ...

Jan 15,2026
ORBCOMM Inc. | Globenewswire - Via Ritzau

SKYWAVE™, an ORBCOMM® company, launches new hybrid satellite-cellular module to enable remote mission-critical IoT applications.

Jan 15,2026
Image of the week: Smoke from bushfires in southeastern Australia | EUMETSAT

The image was captured on 11 January 2026 by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellites. ... Upcoming launches. What we monitor. Atmosphere.

Jan 15,2026
Aule Space Raises $2M to Build Life Extension Jet Packs

Satellites don't have many options when they run out of fuel, but a ... Imaging, an Indian defense firm developing optical sensors. How to ...

Jan 15,2026
Is Elon Musk losing the space cellphone war? - Fast Company

... Images, Alan Dyer/VWPics/Universal Images Group/Getty Images]. BY Jesus ... satellite launches in his newsletter, Jonathan's Space Report. He ...

Jan 15,2026
Satellite Confirms Hit on Ammunition Depot in Occupied Crimea in Early January - Militarnyi

Poland Launches Electronic Reconnaissance Ship Henryk Zygalski ... Satellite imagery has confirmed a strike by Unmanned Systems Forces drones on a ...

Jan 15,2026
Hydrosat's thermal satellite tech targets water scarcity and agricultural risk, backed by new ...

... Imaging, which secured €5.3 million to advance a very-high-resolution Earth observation constellation ahead of its first satellite launch. In ...

Jan 15,2026
Hydrosat raises $60 million in Series B funding - SpaceNews

15., Hydrosat plans to launch additional thermal infrared satellites and expand its global footprint. ... imagery from Hydrosat's first two satellites ...

Jan 15,2026
Hydrosat raises $60M at a $180M valuation for its thermal satellite imaging tech

Luxembourg-based Hydrosat has two thermal satellites in orbit, thermal data that it says covers more than 10 million square kilometres of imagery per ...

Jan 15,2026
Intuitive Machines completes acquisition of Lanteris Space Systems - SatellitePro ME

MBRSC releases new MBZ-SAT images to mark launch anniversary. 4 hours ago. News • Satellite · FCC approves 7,500 additional Starlink Gen2 satellites ...

Jan 15,2026
Algeria Launches its Next Generation Earth Observation Satellite, ALSAT-3A

Algeria has successfully launched its sixth Earth observation satellite, ALSAT-3A, marking a significant milestone in the North African nation's ...

Jan 15,2026
Got $50000? This Supercharged Space Stock Is a Moonshot in the Making

AST SpaceMobile (ASTS +2.70%) may be one such opportunity right now. A rocket being launched into space. Image source: Getty Images. What's AST ...

Jan 15,2026
Satellite stocks continue to surge amid geopolitical concerns, with Rocket Lab ... - Sherwood News

Satellite stocks have been surging in the ... Attorney General Bonta Launches Investigation into xAI, Grok Over Undressed, Sexual AI Images of.

Jan 15,2026
Spacecoin to Run Connectivity Pilots in Kenya, Nigeria, Indonesia, and Cambodia

Spacecoin previously transmitted a blockchain transaction from space and launched three satellites this past November to test decentralized, ...

Jan 15,2026
Rocket Lab Successfully Launches Its 66th Electron Rocket - MSN

... satellite into the Earth's orbit. This mission is part of the contract that Rocket Lab secured in February 2025, from Japan-based Earth imaging ...

Jan 15,2026
Indian startup Aule Space enters satellite servicing market - SpaceNews

... satellites, he said, along with artificial intelligence for processing that imagery. ... launch next year to test its docking capabilities. That ...

Jan 15,2026
Musk says he was unaware of Grok generating explicit images of minors - Reuters

Musk says he was unaware of Grok generating explicit images of minors ... India launches the country's 'heaviest satellite' into orbit. December ...

Jan 15,2026
SpaceX launches Starlink 6-98 mission from Cape Canaveral, Florida

Susan Richards and Gabrielle Crocker watch the Launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying Starlink internet satellites from KARS Park on Merritt ...

Jan 15,2026
SAR
Trust Automation Secures $490M US Air Force Deal for Drones, C-UAS Systems

... Satellite System (GNSS) frequencies. Its core product, the Small ... Sweden Taps ICEYE, Planet Labs for Space Satellite Network. January 13 ...

Jan 15,2026
The State of the Science 1 Year On: Environment - Eos.org

The budget also eliminates the launch of a planned NOAA satellite, part of Geostationary Extended Observations, that would measure pollution, ...

Jan 15,2026
Planet Labs Eyes Germany Satellite Plant Starting This Year | Aviation Week Network

Sweden Joins Iceye SAR Satellite Club · Iceye SAR image · Rheinmetall Secures German SAR Satellite Contract In Iceye Partnership · Image of Lhasa ...

Jan 15,2026
Hydrosat raises $60M at a $180M valuation for its thermal satellite imaging tech

On the commercial side, as with a number of other satellite data companies (names include Planet Labs, EOS and Trinity) Hydrosat has built proprietary ...

Jan 15,2026
SkyFi Raises $12.7 Million in Series A to Expand AI Powered Earth Intelligence Platform

SkyFi secures $12.7 million in Series A funding to enhance its AI-driven Earth intelligence platform providing on-demand.

Jan 15,2026
"In January 2026, India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) experienced a significant ...

Payload Loss: All 16 satellites were initially feared lost, including the primary payload EOS-N1 (Anvesha), a strategic hyperspectral imaging ...

Jan 15,2026
PSLV-C62 mission failure:ISRO faces first space launch setback of 2026 - India TV News

The issue prevented the satellite from achieving orbital velocity, leading to the loss of the EOS-N1 satellite and 15 smaller payloads.

Jan 15,2026
Up 735% in a year! The red-hot EOS share price is smashing Droneshield and other defence stocks

The company's products are used in space information and intelligence services, in optical, microwave, and on-the-move satellite products, optical ...

Jan 15,2026
ISRO PSLV-C62 Failure: Workhorse Stumbles as 16 Satellites Lost - Deccan Herald

The rocket carried EOS-N1, an earth observation satellite, and 15 other payloads, including some from Spain, Brazil, and Nepal. Developed by ISRO, the ...

Jan 15,2026
The failure of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)

idrw (@idrwalerts). 411 likes 4 replies. The failure of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)-C62-EOS-N1 mission has shaken the confidence of ...

Jan 15,2026
ICEYE: Partnership with the Swedish Armed Forces for advanced satellite capabilities

As ICEYE emphasized, the new agreement consolidates its position as a key provider of critical satellite-based infrastructure for Information, ...

Jan 15,2026
Enhancing Sovereign Space-Based Surveillance: A Strategic Analysis of Sweden's ... - Debug

... satellite test—generating over 1,500 trackable debris fragments—and its ... ICEYE and the US's Planet Labs. ICEYE to deliver sovereign space ...

Jan 15,2026
European Space Agency and Liberty Mutual Reinsurance sign MoI to explore ... - Satellite Evolution

The agreement marks the start of a three-year collaboration aimed at exploring how space applications can help create parametric insurance solutions ...

Jan 15,2026
SkyFi: $12.7 Million Series A Closed To Broaden Access to Satellite Imagery And Analytics

... satellite imagery and built-in geospatial analytics across commercial and government use cases ... ICEYE US, and Planet to provide on-demand access to ...

Jan 15,2026
Eos Energy Sparks Retail Buzz After New Battery Storage Platform Launch - Stocktwits

Ryanair CEO Reportedly Rules Out Equipping Aircraft With Starlink Even As Airlines Embrace Musk's Satellite Wi-Fi. Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary cited ...

Jan 15,2026
SkyFi: $12.7 Million Series A Closed To Broaden Access to Satellite Imagery And Analytics

... satellite imagery and built-in geospatial analytics across commercial and government use cases. ... ICEYE US, and Planet to provide on-demand access to ...

Jan 15,2026
Orbital Paradigm's Capsule Transmitted Data Despite PSLV Rocket Failure - Via Satellite

Government/Military Swedish Armed Forces Sign Sovereign Satellite Deals with Planet and Iceye · Launch. Orbital Paradigm's Capsule Transmitted Data ...

Jan 15,2026
Indian rocket crashes with 16 satellites on board | heise online

Among them were the Indian Earth observation satellite EOS-N1, the British-Thai Earth observation satellite Theos-2, and an Indian satellite designed ...

Jan 15,2026
News | IonQ Announces New CISO | Pipeline Publishing

IonQ Capella's Leslie Kershaw Moves to IonQ Corporate Post as Chief Information Security Officer ... satellite, communications, and spectrum ...

Jan 15,2026
Germany Purchases Eight MQ-9B SeaGuardian via NSPA - Nordic Defence Sector

The system is reported to have satellite control, de-icing ... ICEYE uppger att satelliterna kan leverera data med markupplösning ned ...

Jan 15,2026
SSA

Questions about Commercial Innovation Center (CIC)