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
Footage from Syria may show secret Iranian base | The Jerusalem Post

“Intelligence analysis conducted by Image Sat International (ISI), a civilian satellite company, indicates the tunnel is fit to be used for the ...

Dec 21,2025
U.S. and Venezuela Jam Caribbean GPS Signals to Thwart Attacks, Raising Flight Hazard

An escalating standoff between the United States and Venezuela has led both countries' militaries to jam satellite ... Image. A blue passenger ...

Dec 21,2025
BlackSky Technology's (BKSY) Valuation and Growth Potential Amid Rapid Gen-3 Satellite ...

accelerates Gen-3 satellite deployment and AI integration to meet rising demand for real-time geospatial intelligence. - Q3 2025 revenue fell to $19.6 ...

Dec 21,2025
Overlooked deforestation from global mining activities in the 21st century - Nature

Landsat satellite imagery for validation can be accessed at https ... satellite imagery. Int. J. Appl. Earth Obs. Geoinformation 93, 102194 ...

Dec 21,2025
BlackSky Technology (BKSY) Valuation After Rapid Gen-3 Satellite Deployment and ...

BlackSky Technology (BKSY) Valuation After Rapid Gen-3 Satellite Deployment and Growing AI Imaging Capabilities. No compatible source was found for ...

Dec 21,2025
From the Andes to Darfur: Colombians lured to Sudan's killing fields - France 24

Then he would be deployed to "Africa" to undertake tactical reconnaissance. This handout satellite image from 2025 ...

Dec 21,2025
Indonesia calls in military to help clear forests at rapid pace - Financial Times

Military posts have also been set up near food estate developments, according to the residents and satellite imagery analysed by the FT. “Since ...

Dec 21,2025
From the Andes to Darfur: Colombians lured to Sudan's killing fields - Watauga Democrat

Satellite imagery of the airport obtained by AFP regularly shows multiple Ilyushin IL-76D cargo planes, identical to others identified by AFP in ...

Dec 21,2025
From the Andes to Darfur: Colombians lured to Sudan's killing fields - hpenews.com

This handout satellite image from 2025 Planet Labs PBC shows ...

Dec 21,2025
Shift in modern warfare turns defense firms into growth stocks - The Japan Times

... satellite intelligence outfit Planet Labs PBC and data analytics company Palantir Technologies. Each has seen its stock at least double this year ...

Dec 21,2025
Rocket Lab Successfully Launches for iQPS, Ends 2025 with 21 Launches and 100 ...

... the latest satellite to space for multi-launch customer Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space, Inc. (iQPS), a Japan-based Earth imaging company.

Dec 21,2025
Spectral range of Sentinel-2 satellite imagery | Download Scientific Diagram - ResearchGate

Object-based image analysis (OBIA) is increasingly employed to enhance land cover classification accuracy from satellite imagery.

Dec 21,2025
Satellite Imagery Shows Israeli Regime Entrenching Long-Term Military Control in Gaza

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Satellite imagery indicates Israel is laying the groundwork for a permanent military presence across large parts of the Gaza ...

Dec 21,2025
Satellite images indicate Israel entrenching a permanent military presence in Gaza

... satellite imagery analysis that documents extensive construction, infrastructure expansion, and continued destruction of Palestinian property ...

Dec 21,2025
Rwanda has launched an AI-powered geospatial platform that uses satellite imagery to ... - Instagram

rwanda__ on December 20, 2025: "Rwanda has launched an AI-powered geospatial platform that uses satellite imagery to monitor farms and track ...

Dec 21,2025
Rwanda has launched an AI-powered geospatial platform that uses satellite imagery to ... - Threads

Rwanda (@rwanda__). Rwanda has launched an AI-powered geospatial platform that uses satellite imagery to monitor farms and track climate patterns.

Dec 21,2025
High-resolution landfill characterization using SAR remote sensing and cloud-based processing

Soni, C., Chaudhary, A., Sharma, U. & Sharma, C. Satellite radar interferometry for DEM generation using Sentinel-1A imagery. in 26–33. https ...

Dec 21,2025
This handout satellite image from 2025 Planet Labs PBC shows the UAE-loyalist airbase in ...

This handout satellite image from 2025 Planet Labs PBC shows the UAE-loyalist airbase in Kufra, southeastern Libya, on October 7, 2025, ...

Dec 21,2025
An escalating standoff between the U.S. and Venezuela has led both countries' militaries to ...

An escalating standoff between the U.S. and Venezuela has led both countries' militaries to jam satellite navigation signals in the Caribbean to ...

Dec 21,2025
MDA Space Has A Huge Backlog, Yet Trades At A Discount - Finimize

It distributes RADARSAT-2 radar imagery, plus third-party optical and RF data. Satellite Systems: Designs, manufactures, and integrates satellites, ...

Dec 21,2025
Satellite Launches
China launches new communication technology test satellite

... satellite into space from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province. Launched at 8:30 p.m. (Beijing Time) aboard a Long ...

Dec 21,2025
Ministry of Science and ICT Launches Satellite Network Support System

System enables real-time tracking, online registration, and integrated data for efficient satellite use and space territory security.

Dec 21,2025
ISRO's LVM3 to launch next-generation communication satellite on Dec. 24 - The Hindu

ISRO's LVM3 will launch the BlueBird Block-2 satellite on December 24, providing global high-speed cellular broadband directly to smartphones.

Dec 21,2025
MDA Space Has A Huge Backlog, Yet Trades At A Discount - Finimize

... imagery, plus third-party optical and RF data. Satellite Systems: Designs, manufactures, and integrates satellites ... launch. Canadarm3 contract ...

Dec 21,2025
China launches new communication technology test satellite - CGTN

China launched a new communication technology test satellite from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in southern China's Hainan Province on Saturday.

Dec 21,2025
Far above Earth, a satellite 'dogfight' - PressReader

PEDRO PARDO/AFP/GETTY IMAGES People stand in front of a poster showing astronauts at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China's Gansu province in ...

Dec 21,2025
Trump's Warships, Jets 'ENCIRCLE' Venezuela; Satellites Map Military Buildup - YouTube

Satellite images are now revealing the dramatic escalation of U.S. ... LIVE | Heightened Military Activity Around Venezuela, US Army To Launch Ground ...

Dec 21,2025
BlackSky Accelerates Satellite Deployment with Third Gen-3 Satellite Now Operational

BlackSky Launches Third Gen-3 Satellite, Reducing Commissioning Time for High-Resolution Imagery. BlackSky has achieved a milestone by bringing its ...

Dec 21,2025
Behind Netanyahu's warning to Trump: Israel's deepening fears over Iran's missile and

In September, the Associated Press, citing satellite imagery, reported that Iran had begun rebuilding its missile manufacturing sites following ...

Dec 21,2025
Satellites flying closer to Earth could reshape communications and climate science

As more spacecraft are launched for communications, imaging, and research, engineers are examining very low Earth orbit, known as VLEO. This ...

Dec 21,2025
SpaceX poised to launch Elon Musk's wealth into the stratosphere - The Telegraph

Despite fears that the AI bubble could pop, Musk is pitching the prospect of building a fleet of AI data satellites orbiting above the Earth to join ...

Dec 21,2025
ISRO to Launch AST BlueBird-2 Satellite - Sanskriti IAS

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch AST SpaceMobile's advanced BlueBird Block-2 satellite using its heavy-lift LVM3 rocket ...

Dec 21,2025
An exploded Starlink satellite is orbiting Earth right now - Space - Mashable SEA

... satellite is orbiting Earth right now Credit: Kevin Carter /Getty Images News via Getty Images. > Space. A debris field comprised of a Starlink ...

Dec 21,2025
Starlink satellite explodes, causing small debris field in space - Mashable

SpaceX launched 27 new Starlink satellites into space last week. Credit: Kevin Carter /Getty Images News via Getty Images. A debris field comprised ...

Dec 21,2025
A Starlink Satellite Is Tumbling Toward Earth After a Strange Anomaly in Orbit - Gizmodo

The satellite suffered a sudden drop in altitude, suggesting there may have been a small explosion. ... A Falcon 9 rocket launches 27 ...

Dec 21,2025
China launches new communication technology test satellite - Chinadaily.com.cn

... satellite into space from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in South China's Hainan province. Launched at 8:30 pm (Beijing Time) aboard a Long March ...

Dec 21,2025
Blue Origin Completes First Space Flight With Wheelchair User - Bloomberg.com

The launch marked the 16th human spaceflight for Bezos' tourism company using New Shepard, a small craft built to send people on short trips to ...

Dec 21,2025
US launches strikes on Isis targets in Syria in retaliation for ambush - Financial Times

Latest on US foreign policy · Venezuela · Satellite images track Trump's squeeze on Venezuela · FT Swamp Notes · The rest of the west is our only bet.

Dec 21,2025
AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) Jumps 15% on Christmas Eve Launch of BlueBird 6

... an overall market rally and placing bets ahead of the launch of its next-generation satellite. On the […]

Dec 21,2025
Rocket lab signs $1.4b deal with US space agency - Otago Daily Times

Rocket Lab already had a US$515m (NZ$869m) satellite contract. This week, the company launched its fourth spacecraft into orbit for the United States ...

Dec 21,2025
EO-MSI
Footage from Syria may show secret Iranian base | The Jerusalem Post

“Intelligence analysis conducted by Image Sat International (ISI), a civilian satellite company, indicates the tunnel is fit to be used for the ...

Dec 21,2025
Global assessment documents unprecedented atmospheric impacts of the 2022 Hunga ...

... satellite era, increasing global stratospheric water vapor by about 10%. ... SkySat imagery (Image © 2022 Planet Labs PBC); (i, j, k) Enlarged ...

Dec 21,2025
BlackSky Technology (BKSY) Valuation After Rapid Gen-3 Satellite Deployment and ...

BlackSky Technology (BKSY) just brought its third Gen-3 satellite into commercial service only three weeks after launch, a speed upgrade that ...

Dec 21,2025
Elon Musk's Starlink satellite crashes: Here's what happened - India Today

A day later, stunning high-resolution images from Westminster-based spatial intelligence firm Vantor's WorldView-3 satellite captured over Alaska ...

Dec 21,2025
Preparing for the Era of Low Earth Orbit Satellites... Ministry of Science and ICT Establishes ...

The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Communications Agency announced on December 21 that they have established the "Satellite Network ...

Dec 21,2025
MDA Space Has A Huge Backlog, Yet Trades At A Discount - Finimize

Satellite Systems: Designs, manufactures, and integrates satellites ... Maxar Technologies, and newer constellation operators like Planet Labs.

Dec 21,2025
The Engineering of Sentinel-2: How MultiSpectral Satellite Data Verifies EUDR Compliance

... satellite constellation. ... The project's design combines very high-resolution imagery from Maxar's WorldView satellites with human interpretation and ...

Dec 21,2025
BlackSky Accelerates Satellite Deployment with Third Gen-3 Satellite Now Operational

BlackSky has achieved a milestone by bringing its third Gen-3 satellite into commercial service just three weeks post-launch, ...

Dec 21,2025
Satellite images show that there were bombings on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant ...

The Ukrainian and Russian sides constantly accuse each other of these attacks, while satellite images from Maxar Technologies prove that the missiles ...

Dec 21,2025
North Korea nuclear expansion shown in chilling new satellite images - The Daily Express

Satellite pictures of the suspected uranium enrichment facility (Image: Pleiades NEO © Airbus DS 2025 via 38 North). Satellite imagery suggests ...

Dec 21,2025
Trump nominates new head of US forces in Latin America - Space War News

BlackSky accelerates Gen-3 satellite into full commercial service in three weeks · 24/7 Energy News Coverage · Conventional photon entanglement ...

Dec 21,2025
Can BlackSky (BKSY) Turn Faster Gen-3 Satellite Commissioning Into Lasting Competitive ...

BlackSky Technology Investment Narrative Recap. To own BlackSky, you need to believe that rapid expansion of its Gen-3 constellation and AI analytics ...

Dec 21,2025
Lockheed Martin clinches $1 billion deal with Space Development Agency for 18 missile ...

The Space Development Agency has awarded Lockheed Martin a contract to deliver 18 satellites for its Tranche 3 Tracking Layer constellation, ...

Dec 21,2025
Why BlackSky Technology (BKSY) Is Up 5.5% After Faster Gen-3 Satellite Commissioning ...

Earlier this month, BlackSky Technology Inc. brought its third Gen-3 satellite into commercial service just three weeks after launch, ...

Dec 21,2025
SAR
ISRO, ASTSpaceMobile to livestream LVM3-M6 flight | Science News - News9live

... EOS-N1 'Anvesha' satellite for DRDO. There are 18 copassengers on board, including the MIRA miniaturised space telescope by EON SpaceLabs with ...

Dec 21,2025
Pliny the Elder and the Mystery of Creta Umbrica: An Ancient Material Reidentified by ... - Arkeonews

... Umbra” from. For nearly two thousand years, a pale earth from the hills of central Italy has quietly bridged the worlds of medicine, craftsmanship ...

Dec 21,2025
WHAT'S UP IN THE SKY: Sinking to the bottom of the analemma - Ellensburg Daily Record

Corvus (constellation) · Hercules (constellation) · Crater (constellation) ... Capella · Gale (crater) · Terrestrial Planets · Mercury (planet) · Mizar ...

Dec 21,2025
Bolivians protest fuel price hikes after subsidies cut | Business

LA PAZ, Dec 20, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Bolivians protesting a ... Bus drivers took to the streets of the administrative capital La Paz, satellite ...

Dec 21,2025
Iceye and German defense and tech firm Rheinmetall secured a contract this week to build a ...

Via Satellite (@Via_Satellite). 15 likes 404 views. Iceye and German defense and tech firm Rheinmetall secured a contract this week to build a SAR ...

Dec 21,2025
NICK STROBEL: Longest night of year upon us | Entertainment | bakersfield.com

Hercules (constellation) · Aquila (constellation) · Star Cluster · Summer ... Capella · Orion (constellation) · Auriga · Canis Major · Epsilon Canis ...

Dec 21,2025
ICEYE and Rheinmetall Win Major Contract Worth Billions for Space Reconnaissance - Menlo Times

... satellite constellation. Rheinmetall has partnered with ICEYE to establish Rheinmetall ICEYE Space Solutions, a Neuss-based joint venture ...

Dec 21,2025
Engineering Manager - Fleet Planning - ICEYE - Space Crew

Who are we? ICEYE is the global leader in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite operations for Earth Observation, persistent monitoring, and ...

Dec 21,2025
RF
Spire Global (NYSE:SPIR) Stock Rating Lowered by Wall Street Zen - MarketBeat

By leveraging proprietary satellite hardware and ground infrastructure, Spire captures precise, near-real-time observations of Earth's atmosphere, ...

Dec 21,2025
US, Venezuela jam GPS signals in Caribbean amid escalating tensions - TRT World

Separately, satellite data firm Spire Global found that Venezuela's armed forces have blocked positioning signals around critical infrastructure ...

Dec 21,2025
Spire Global's Resilience Amid Revenue Headwinds and High-Growth Potential in 2026

expanded satellite manufacturing in North America and Germany to reduce costs, aiming for 12-17% 2025 revenue growth through vertical integration. - ...

Dec 21,2025
Deputy Office Manager (12 month fixed term contract) @ Spire

... satellite constellations. Our Glasgow site is home to Spire's state‑of‑the‑art satellite manufacturing facility—where we design, build, test, and ...

Dec 21,2025
Why The Narrative Around Spire Global Is Shifting After Analyst Revisions And New Guidance

Spire Global's narrative is shifting as analysts trim their fair ... satellite constellation in U.S. defense programs. The company issued ...

Dec 21,2025
U.S. and Venezuela Jam Caribbean GPS Signals to Thwart Attacks, Raising Flight Hazard

... Spire Global, a satellite data firm. Advertisement. SKIP ADVERTISEMENT. Signals experts said both militaries appeared to be trying to protect assets ...

Dec 21,2025
Senior FPGA Engineer – Satellite Communications (Hybrid) in Glasgow at Spire Global, Inc.

Kick-start your career as a Senior FPGA Engineer – Satellite Communications (Hybrid) in Glasgow at Spire Global, Inc. Easily apply on the ...

Dec 21,2025
SSA

Questions about Commercial Innovation Center (CIC)