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
Lake Erie nearly completely ice covered; rest of Great Lakes above average - The Detroit News

Satellite imagery shows ice cover on Lake Erie as of Jan. 31. NOAA. Lake Erie is nearly completely blanketed by ice, according to National Weather ...

Feb 3,2026
Wise Use, Shared Future: Strengthening Caribbean Wetlands for Climate Resilience - IUCN

Satellite imagery of Codrington Lagoon. Airbus, Maxar Technologies, Landsat / Copernicus, Data SIO, NOAA, U.S. Navy, NGA, GEBCO. Satellite imagery ...

Feb 3,2026
SpaceX Acquires xAI to Pursue Orbital Data Center Constellation - Via Satellite

... intelligence models and the applications that rely on them. ... satellite power limits inside the United States. Editor's note: This ...

Feb 3,2026
Elon Musk merges SpaceX with artificial intelligence company xAI - The Guardian

As SpaceX continues to dominate satellite launches and secure extensive contracts with the US federal government, it sent a letter to investors in ...

Feb 3,2026
Singapore's first AI nanosatellite to be launched under $200m national space push

Singapore's first AI nanosatellite to be launched under $200m national space push ... NTU's Satellite Research Centre executive director Lim Wee Seng ...

Feb 3,2026
Stunning satellite images show the Great Lakes rapidly freezing over after brutal cold snap

The record cold spell over the last two weeks is developing a lot of ice on the Great Lakes. The view from a satellite high above Earth gives us a ...

Feb 3,2026
George Mason University named lead academic partner for Connected DMV's spaceNEXT

Satellite and Earth System Studies Program, the Center for Geospatial Intelligence, and the second largest observatory on the East Coast, the ...

Feb 3,2026
NRO Pulls Back Veil On Cold War-Era Intel Satellite Program

Close Image. A model of a NRO Jumpseat satellite. Courtesy: NRO. Expand Photo. NRO Pulls Back the Veil On Cold War-Era Intelligence Satellite Program.

Feb 3,2026
Precision GEOINT: Enhancing Spatial Accuracy for Tectonic Motion - Vantor

Our spatial foundation is built on satellite imagery with sub-5-meter accuracy, making it the most accurate global-scale foundation in the industry.

Feb 3,2026
SpaceX acquires xAI, plans to launch a massive satellite constellation to power it

... intelligence firm offer potential strategic advances. ... The goal is to help de-conflict satellite trajectories and avoid collisions in low-Earth orbit ...

Feb 3,2026
China Relocates PMZ Structure to Weihai Shipyard | Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative

Two aquaculture cages, Shen Lan 1 and Shen Lan 2—unilaterally positioned by China in the PMZ—continue to operate in the area. Satellite imagery ...

Feb 3,2026
AI in spotlight at APG's first Innovation Showcase | Article | The United States Army

For instance, an analyst could use AI Flow to link an AI agent that monitors satellite imagery with another that analyzes communications traffic ...

Feb 3,2026
RIN report: How GNSS interference harms maritime safety - GPS World

GNSS interference refers to anything that disrupts a ship's satellite-based positioning signals, usually caused by jamming and spoofing. In 2025 ...

Feb 3,2026
Elon Musk's SpaceX acquiring AI startup xAI ahead of potential IPO - CNBC

Elon Musk is combining rocket maker SpaceX with his artificial intelligence startup, according to a statement. ... Satellite U (GOES-U) lifts off from ...

Feb 3,2026
China Relocates PMZ Structure to Weihai Shipyard - CSIS Beyond Parallel

Satellite imagery and AIS data confirm that the Atlantic Amsterdam, a Chinese maritime management platform that was a point of tension between ...

Feb 3,2026
Kubespace Achieves 59% Latency Reduction For LEO Satellite Container Orchestration

Researchers have developed KubeSpace, a new system for managing satellite-based cloud computing that reduces management latency by 59% and ...

Feb 3,2026
Aterio Reports 169.65 GW of U.S. Data Center Capacity Announced in 2025 as AI ... - Bluffton Today

December satellite imagery confirms large-scale site clearing and active development on Building 1, supporting Oracle's Q4 2027 completion target ...

Feb 3,2026
SpaceX Files for Orbital Data Center Satellites Amid xAI Merger Reports

Kimberly Siversen Burke, director of Government Affairs for Quilty Space, told Via Satellite that as a near-term revenue driver, orbital data centers ...

Feb 3,2026
National mission to launch sovereign satellite kept under wraps by officials | RNZ News

Dual-use tech could be used for both commercial and military purposes, such as satellite imagery gathered by commercial satellites over Ukraine and ...

Feb 3,2026
SpaceX AI Satellite Plan - video Dailymotion

intelligence, according to TechCrunch. In a company filing ... The filing comes as Amazon seeks an FCC deadline extension for its satellite.

Feb 3,2026
Satellite Launches
Musk's SpaceX Combines With xAI at $1.25 Trillion Valuation - Bloomberg.com

Clary/AFP/Getty Images. Gift this article. Add us on Google. Contact us: ... During today's Falcon 9 launch of @Starlink satellites, the second ...

Feb 3,2026
SpaceX Acquires XAI. Read Elon Musk's Memo. - Business Insider

Combining xAI with SpaceX allows the AI startup, which has faced global backlash over sexual images ... While the need to launch these satellites will ...

Feb 3,2026
NRO Pulls Back Veil On Cold War-Era Intel Satellite Program

Under its Electro-Optical Commercial Layer program, launched in 2022, NRO plans to spend more than $4 billion on commercial imagery over a 10-year ...

Feb 3,2026
ST Engineering Charts Next Phase of its Space Programme - SPACE & DEFENSE

The first satellite is scheduled to be launched in 2027. ... “This allows us to develop more advanced SAR and optical imaging satellites ...

Feb 3,2026
SpaceX acquires xAI, plans to launch a massive satellite constellation to power it

However, Grok has been controversial, including the sexualization of women and children through AI-generated images, as has Musk's management of ...

Feb 3,2026
Aterio Reports 169.65 GW of U.S. Data Center Capacity Announced in 2025 as AI ... - Bluffton Today

December satellite imagery confirms large-scale site clearing and active development on Building 1, supporting Oracle's Q4 2027 completion target ...

Feb 3,2026
Can FCC Regulation Keep Up With Space Race 2.0? - Broadband Breakfast

Danielle Piñeres of Planet Labs PBC, a publicly traded Earth imaging company, said licensing timelines often don't match commercial launch schedules.

Feb 3,2026
How Rocket Lab's New Contract Will Propel it to New Heights in 2026 - The Globe and Mail

Image source: Getty Images. It plans to launch its ... satellites would certainly diversify its top line away from its core launch services.

Feb 3,2026
TDK launches STRIDE, a low-power, real-time positioning software for wearables and IoT

... satellite—more than 70 · US Space Force cancels smallsat project for ... Hide Images. Hide Images. Reading Guide. Reading Guide. Focus Outline.

Feb 3,2026
Elon Musk's SpaceX reportedly combining with xAI ahead of potential IPO - CNBC

... satellite Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite U (GOES-U) lifts off from Launch ... Rodriguez Carrillo | AFP | Getty Images. Elon Musk ...

Feb 3,2026
OTD in space - February 2: US Air Force launches Key Hole-7 surveillance satellite - MSN

These satellites acquired some of the first high-resolution spy satellite images of places including China, the former Soviet Union, Israel and more.

Feb 3,2026
SpaceX Files for Orbital Data Center Satellites Amid xAI Merger Reports

Imagery and Sensing LiveEO to Launch New Constellation Focused on Critical Infrastructure ... SpaceX launches 20 Starlink satellites on Dec. 4 ...

Feb 3,2026
On National Space Technology Day, Iran will unveil new space projects, including ... - Facebook

#Pakistan's first indigenously designed imaging satellite, the EO-1, is now in space. It was launched by a Chinese Long March 2D (LM-2D) satellite ...

Feb 3,2026
OHB Hellas and Parsimoni to Develop Sovereign Software Solution - Via Satellite

Imagery and Sensing LiveEO to Launch New Constellation Focused on Critical Infrastructure ... It will combine OHB Hellas' Orbital HPC hardware solution ...

Feb 3,2026
North Korean Probable High Explosive Test Sites | ISIS Reports - Isis-online.org

A group called Strategic Sentinel assessed and labelled the site as a missile launch site. ... Satellite imagery shows that the roof of what appears to ...

Feb 3,2026
Launch Date for Federal Army Satellite Set - VOL.AT

... launch date in early January with SpaceX from Elon Musk has been set. Independence in Satellite Images and Navigation through Federal Army Satellites.

Feb 3,2026
Drone Footage Of Chinese Rocket Launched A Yaogan-34 Satellite - video Dailymotion

China's Long March 4C rocket launched the Yaogan-34 04 satellite from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The rocket sheds insulation tiles ...

Feb 3,2026
Ukraine launches verification procedure of Starlink terminals, in cooperation with SpaceX

Defense minister says gov't adopts resolution on introducing 'white list' for Starlink satellite terminals in Ukraine ... Anadolu Images · Energy ...

Feb 3,2026
AI finds hundreds of never-before-seen 'cosmic anomalies' in old Hubble Telescope images

In fact, NASA estimates Hubble has snapped 1.7 million images since it launched in 1990. ... Satellite trails seen in Hubble Space Telescope ...

Feb 3,2026
Iran building nukes under Trump's nose? Satellite images of Nantaz, Ifshan out - YouTube

Satellite images reveal fresh activity at Iran's Natanz and ... Iran's supreme leader vows 'STRONG BLOW' if US launches attack. Fox News.

Feb 3,2026
EO-MSI
Iran, US to hold nuclear talks on Friday as Trump warns Tehran - Ynet News

Photo: Lev Radin/Shutterstock, AP, Chaim Goldberg/Flash90, SATELLITE IMAGE ©2025 MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES / AFP, Getmilitaryphotos/Shutterstock, REUTERS/ ...

Feb 3,2026
KSAT rolls out AI driven maritime monitoring platform - Space War News

... satellite operators. KSAT currently ... BlackSky Technology Inc. has secured multiple expansion contracts for its Gen-3 satellite constellation ...

Feb 3,2026
SpaceX Acquires xAI to Pursue Orbital Data Center Constellation - Via Satellite

Technology Skynopy Wins New Airbus Deal for Pléiades Neo Ground Segment Enhancement ... SpaceX has acquired Elon Musk's AI venture xAI, the company ...

Feb 3,2026
Precision GEOINT: Enhancing Spatial Accuracy for Tectonic Motion - Vantor

North of San Francisco, the San Andreas Fault divides the Pacific Plate from the North American Plate. A single WorldView satellite pass spanning this ...

Feb 3,2026
Paramount Formats Travel to Germany - VideoAge International

... Neo Social Club mit Laura Larsson, marking the first international ... satellite, piracy, and new technology. It's our goal at VideoAge to ...

Feb 3,2026
SpaceX Files for Orbital Data Center Satellites Amid xAI Merger Reports

Technology Skynopy Wins New Airbus Deal for Pléiades Neo Ground Segment Enhancement ... Funding this type of orbital data center constellation ...

Feb 3,2026
ST Engineering to Build SAR Constellation Slated to Launch in 2027, Singapore Announces ...

ST Engineering revealed a roadmap for launching a constellation ... Technology Skynopy Wins New Airbus Deal for Pléiades Neo Ground Segment Enhancement.

Feb 3,2026
Singapore: City-State To Establish Space Agency - Stratfor

Worldview- News at demand · Americas · Asia-Pacific · Eurasia · Europe · Middle ... The agency will coordinate satellite development, geospatial ...

Feb 3,2026
Strage Crans: morto il 18enne svizzero, è la 41esima vittima - Il Fatto Quotidiano

Crans-Montana, morto il 18enne svizzero Alexis Bollag a un mese esatto dalla strage del Constellation ... dove si presentava “col trolley coi suoi libri ...

Feb 3,2026
Maxar confirms closing Ukraine's access to its satellite imagery - MSN

Ukraine no longer has access to satellite images from the American aerospace company Maxar Technologies. The reason is related to the US ...

Feb 3,2026
Iran rebuilds nuclear sites as US weighs strike | The Jerusalem Post

Satellite images show Iran covering and rebuilding parts of Natanz ... (credit: MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS). Before June 2025 ...

Feb 3,2026
CesiumAstro Raises $470M in Growth Capital, CEO Sabripour Calls It a 'Scale Moment'

CesiumAstro raises $270 million plus $200 million in EXIM funding in a "scale moment" for the software-defined satellite tech company.

Feb 3,2026
Singapore's Space Agency Puts the Spotlight on Satellite and Chip Stocks - TipRanks.com

In satellite data, companies such as Planet Labs and BlackSky Technology focus on turning imagery into actionable insights. Their services depend ...

Feb 3,2026
LEO Satellite Market to Reach USD 34.7 Billion by 2032 - Size, - openPR.com

• Maxar Technologies FAQs 1. What is the current size of the LEO satellite market? The LEO satellite market was valued at USD 13.4 billion in 2024 ...

Feb 3,2026
NASA selects Axiom Space for Fifth Private Mission to Space Station - SatellitePro ME

SatellitePro ME addresses all aspects of the satellite industry ... HEO takes ownership of in-orbit satellite in Satellogic deal · CRA ...

Feb 3,2026
China launches AlSat-3B satellite for Algeria - SatellitePro ME

HEO takes ownership of in-orbit satellite in Satellogic deal. 4 days ago. Recommended Stories. Sponsored Content · DIMDEX 2026: Strengthening Secure ...

Feb 3,2026
Airbus & Hisdesat to commercialize PAZ-2 SAR radar imagery

Radar Satellite Constellation With TerraSAR-X. At a high-profile ... Neo · Articles. Jan 29, 11:19. post-picture · Leica Citymapper-3 Airborne ...

Feb 3,2026
Samsung Galaxy S26 Tipped to Be Lighter and Taller - WhatMobile

We have also had verification about the series' Qi 2 wireless input upgrade and Satellite Communication. There's plenty to look forward to. Keep ...

Feb 3,2026
SAR
Amazon Leo asks FCC for 2-year deadline extension, buys 10 SpaceX Falcon 9s, evokes ...

LA PLATA, Maryland — Amazon Leo was never going to meet its July 30 deadline to deploy 50% of its 2,232-satellite broadband constellation. The ...

Feb 3,2026
EOS Dividend Announcement $0.1523/Share 2/2/2026

What Are Section 199A Dividends? Three Dividend-paying Satellite ...

Feb 3,2026
Airbus and ST Engineering to develop 3D radar capabilities - Australian Defence Magazine

... PAZ-2 satellite manufactured by Airbus and the commercialisation of this service. This “3D SAR” approach will involve one satellite transmitting ...

Feb 3,2026
NRO Pulls Back Veil On Cold War-Era Intel Satellite Program

... Capella Space, ICEYE US, and Umbra, who provide a mix of space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities. Under its ...

Feb 3,2026
Promavtomatyka showcases rugged portable power stations for military use - Defensehere

Airbus, Hisdesat extend partnership to commercialize PAZ-2 radar satellite imagery · Airbus 28 January 2026. Airbus Defence and Space and Spanish ...

Feb 3,2026
Europe Seeks Unity of Purpose As Space Projects Mushroom | Aviation Week Network

Iceye is promoting the idea of Europe deploying a 1,000-multisensor-satellite constellation. Credit: Iceye. Europe has a new space challenge on its ...

Feb 3,2026
Bolivia kicks off school year with ban on cellphones - WFTV

LA PAZ, Bolivia — Bolivia began to implement a ban on cellphones in classrooms Monday, as the school year starts in the landlocked South American ...

Feb 3,2026
Eutelsat Halts Sale of its Passive Ground Segment Infrastructure Assets after Conditions ...

Membership Required ; Airbus and Hisdesat Sign Commercialization Agreement for PAZ-2 Satellite Imagery · January 29, 2026 ; Eutelsat Signs Launch ...

Feb 3,2026
Bolivia kicks off school year with ban on cellphones - The Washington Post

Last year, the Paz administration lifted a ban against foreign-owned internet satellite providers that had been put in place by the previous ...

Feb 3,2026
TDK launches STRIDE, a low-power, real-time positioning software for wearables and IoT

Eos MDM Configurator designed to streamline deployments · Photo: BENSI ... satellite—more than 70 · US Space Force cancels smallsat project for ...

Feb 3,2026
'We have not come across any report of sabotage as of now': India's Space Minister - WION

All three failed missions were meant for strategic purposes: NVS-02 satellite, PSLV-C61/EOS-09, PSLV-C62/EOS-N1. In 33 years of its spaceflight, the ...

Feb 3,2026
Airbus & ST Engineering: Advancing 3D Radar & AI-Enabled Space Capabilities

... satellite imagery analysis. The partnership leverages complementary strengths: Airbus's long-standing expertise in space systems and high-quality ...

Feb 3,2026
Investigation into PSLV failures 'ongoing', next launch date in June: Minister - The Hindu

... The investigation into the causes behind the consecutive failures of the Indian Space Rearch Organisation's (ISRO) Polar Satellite ... EOS-09 satellite ...

Feb 3,2026
The two PSLV failures were not related. Failure assessment committees have been set up

On 12 January, ISRO launched its PSLV-C62 mission carrying the strategic satellite Earth Observation Satellite (EOS-N1), along with 15 other Indian ...

Feb 3,2026
ESA Appoints Laurent Jaffart as Director of its New Resilience, Navigation and Connectivity ...

... PAZ-2 Satellite Imagery · Geopolitics News · Airbus and Hisdesat Sign Commercialization Agreement for PAZ-2 Satellite Imagery. by Joshua Faleti.

Feb 3,2026
Tonight we'll see the full Moon swallow a bright star. Here's how to know if you're in the right ...

... constellation Leo. And, if you're in the right part of the world, you'll ... Equipment: Canon EOS R DSLR camera, Sigma 300mm lens. Software ...

Feb 3,2026
Airbus & Hisdesat to commercialize PAZ-2 SAR radar imagery

Airbus And Hisdesat Sign Commercialisation Agreement For Paz-2 · Radar Satellite Constellation With TerraSAR-X · SAR and Market Demand · Government ...

Feb 3,2026
The 28 January 2026 landslide at the Rubaya mine complex. - Eos.org

Note also the area on the left of the image, where there is a large tension crack across the slope. As yet, satellite imagery of the Rubaya area is ...

Feb 3,2026
Airbus, ST Engineering to explore new 3D radar capabilities and AI-powered space solutions

... satellite capabilities and digital solutions. Signed at the Space ... PAZ-2[1] satellite manufactured by Airbus and the commercialisation of ...

Feb 3,2026
SSA

Questions about Commercial Innovation Center (CIC)