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
Oil Tanker Fleeing U.S. Coast Guard Broadcasts Location in North Atlantic

satellite imagery on Aug. 19. Iran. Spotted. locations. Signaled. locations. Venezuela. But it used a fake. location signal to. pretend it was.

Jan 2,2026
Live coverage: SpaceX opens 2026 with launch of Cosmo-SkyMed Earth observation satellite for Italy

Aboard is a 1,700-kg (3,748 lb) Earth observation satellite with dual civilian and military use for the government of Italy. ... Image: SpaceX.

Jan 2,2026
Multi-ignition fire complexes drive extreme fire years and impacts | Science Advances

... satellite imagery. Dense smoke and clouds, for example, from pyrocumulonimbus formations from large fires, can obscure satellite detection and may ...

Jan 2,2026
GOES-19 satellite imagery shows a developing low pressure system across the Lower ... - Facebook

🛰️ GOES-19 satellite imagery shows a developing low pressure system across the Lower Mississippi Valley this afternoon. This storm system will ...

Jan 2,2026
As SpaceX Readies for Massive IPO, This Is the Space Stock You Should Be Buying

The potential offering reflects SpaceX's ambitious expansion in satellite internet, human spaceflight, and Mars colonization efforts, drawing intense ...

Jan 2,2026
NASA's CSDA Program Announces Eight New Data Agreements

NASA recognizes the potential of commercial satellite constellations to advance Earth System Science and applications for societal benefit and ...

Jan 2,2026
Speed Superiority: U.S. Defense Spending Surges for Hypersonics and Rapid Launch | INN

... satellite networks that can respond to emerging threats within hours ... imaging company Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space (iQPS). The ...

Jan 2,2026
Tropical Cyclone 09S (Grant) / Tropical Cyclone 11S (Iggy) - Pacific | Pacific Disaster Center

Animated multi-spectral satellite imagery ... Animated shortwave infrared (swir) satellite imagery depicts a fully exposed, and poorly organized low ...

Jan 2,2026
Wireless Roundup (January 2026) | Wiley Rein LLP - JDSupra

... satellite non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) system that would provide ... Intelligence in Operational Technology, which outlines four principles:.

Jan 2,2026
Iridium (IRDM) Stock Trades Up, Here Is Why - StockStory

Cover image. IRDM (©StockStory). Iridium (IRDM) Stock Trades Up, Here Is Why. Adam Hejl /. 2026/01/02 1:46 pm EST. What Happened? Shares of satellite ...

Jan 2,2026
Satellite data showing sinking dams raises infrastructure concerns - Finance & Commerce

The satellite signal was subtle but persistent. A decade of observations suggested that part of the Livingston Dam — a 2.5-mile-long earth and ...

Jan 2,2026
SpaceX begins “significant reconfiguration” of Starlink satellite constellation - Ars Technica

A commercial imaging satellite owned by Vantor captured this view of a failed Starlink satellite last month. Credit: Vantor. Text settings.

Jan 2,2026
Generative AI in Journalism and Journalism Education: Promise, Peril, and the Global North ...

... Intelligence – how ... Dr Leone Hawthorne, former world news anchor for CNN International and CNBC Europe, founder and CEO of two UK satellite ...

Jan 2,2026
Blueshift analysis reveals surge in satellite space debris risk, emphasizes importance of TPS

... satellite launches, which has intensified the demand for improved safety, reduced weight and enhanced resilience in rocket and satellite design.

Jan 2,2026
Florida cold front shows off rare hole punch or fallstreak clouds

A satellite image of the clouds, which are also called cavum clouds, appeared on NASA's Image of the Day website. “Cavum, also called hole-punch ...

Jan 2,2026
Approval Granted For 1000 South De Anza Boulevard in San Jose - San Francisco YIMBY

The podium-style complex will feature a smooth stucco facade with faux-wood patches scattered across the exterior. 1000 South De Anza Boulevard, image ...

Jan 2,2026
Satellite images claiming strikes on military infra in Punjab during Sindoor misleading

'Satellite images claiming strikes on military infra in Punjab during Sindoor misleading'. The latest social media push relies on unverified imagery ...

Jan 2,2026
#HappyNewYear and welcome to 2026! As midnight reached the East Coast on Jan. 1 ...

... satellite captured this first glimpse of the new year from space! Here's to welcoming 2026 from orbit. NOAA Satellites's Image on X · 1. 14. 54.

Jan 2,2026
Behind the Numbers: Trail Blazers at Pelicans (1/2/2026) | New Orleans Pelicans - NBA

article-image: Pelicans vs. Trail Blazers: Injury Report, Game Preview 1 ... DIRECTV (Stream 676, Satellite 676-6) | U-Verse (759 SD, 1759 HD).

Jan 2,2026
Odisha Govt Uses Satellite Imagery Of Plots To Ensure Transparency In Paddy Procurement

During the ongoing Kharif season, suspected non-cultivated paddy plots were identified through satellite imagery and thoroughly verified in a ...

Jan 2,2026
Satellite Launches
Space Brief 2 Jan 2026 - KeepTrack

Demo Flight from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of ... imagery from NASA's Parker Solar Probe.

Jan 2,2026
Live coverage: SpaceX opens 2026 with launch of Cosmo-SkyMed Earth observation satellite for Italy

It uses a synthetic aperture radar (SAR), operating in X-band, allowing it to capture images through clouds and in darkness. The satellite ...

Jan 2,2026
SpaceX Will Move Thousands of Starlinks Closer to Earth in 2026. Here's Why - Gizmodo

This would debilitate the satellite networks we depend on and make it impossible to launch certain space missions. Satellite operators must act ...

Jan 2,2026
No space for Starlink? Why Xi is targeting Musk's satellites - The Times

LUO YUNFEI/CHINA NEWS SERVICE/VCG/GETTY IMAGES ... Starlink itself in early December complained that a Chinese satellite space launch came close to one ...

Jan 2,2026
SpaceX's Starlink to lower satellite orbits in 2026 | The Jerusalem Post

... satellite constellation by lowering all of its satellites orbiting at around ... imagery. Advertisement. SpaceX, long known for its rocket launch ...

Jan 2,2026
After the Drone Attack: Most Oil Depot Reservoirs in Rovenky Destroyed - Militarnyi

Published videos and satellite images confirm the damage to the oil depot in the town of Rovenky in the temporarily occupied territory of Luhansk ...

Jan 2,2026
The SPAINSAT NG II satellite suffers an external impact during its transfer to its orbital position

Indra Group, as the majority shareholder of Hisdesat, reports that the SpainSat NG II satellite, owned by Hisdesat and launched on October 23 from ...

Jan 2,2026
SpaceX lowering orbits of 4,400 Starlink satellites for safety's sake | Space

CAS Space's Kinetica-1 rocket launches two technical experiment satellites from Spacecraft from Chinese launch nearly slammed into Starlink ...

Jan 2,2026
Speed Superiority: U.S. Defense Spending Surges for Hypersonics and Rapid Launch | INN

Starfighters generates revenue through multiple channels beyond satellite launches. ... imaging company Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space (iQPS).

Jan 2,2026
Speed Superiority: U.S. Defense Spending Surges for Hypersonics and Rapid Launch

The company plans to launch 45-60 satellites by the end of 2026, with ... imaging company Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space (iQPS). The ...

Jan 2,2026
SpaceX begins “significant reconfiguration” of Starlink satellite constellation - Ars Technica

A commercial imaging satellite owned by Vantor captured this view ... launches by other satellite operators,” Nicolls wrote. The passage of ...

Jan 2,2026
Starlink satellites to be moved to lower orbit - NewsNation

SpaceX is moving the satellites to reduce chances of collision with other satellites or space debris in Earth's orbit ... Images). Want to see more of ...

Jan 2,2026
The New Arms Race: Investing in Speed, Agility, and Responsive Space Infrastructure

generates revenue through multiple channels beyond satellite launches. ... satellite for Japan-based Earth imaging company Institute for Q-shu ...

Jan 2,2026
ISRO's 2026 Year Ahead: Private Players Step In, Gaganyaan Readiness In Focus

... launches, signalling a new era of innovation and global ... Pakistan News | Pak Propaganda Falls Apart: Fake 'Satellite Images' Exposed.

Jan 2,2026
From Gaganyaan To Private Space Revcolution, Dr V Narayanan On ISRO's Big Bold Next Leap

India Says It's Not In Competition With Elon Musk As It Launches Its Biggest Rocket Ever ... Pakistan News | Pak Propaganda Falls Apart: Fake 'Satellite ...

Jan 2,2026
Investing in Speed, Agility, and Responsive Space Infrastructure – Company Announcement

Starfighters generates revenue through multiple channels beyond satellite launches. ... Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand adds critical imaging ...

Jan 2,2026
SpaceX Sees Big Drop in Number of Starlink Satellite De-Orbits in 2025 | PCMag

... Images). The number of ... In his own annual “space activities” report, McDowell also noted that SpaceX has launched 10,801 Starlink satellites.

Jan 2,2026
SpaceX gets ready for Florida's first launch of 2026 - Spectrum News 13

About the mission. SpaceX owns the Starlink company, which will see its 29 satellites go to low-Earth orbit. Once deployed and in their orbit with the ...

Jan 2,2026
Pakistan uses dis information to revive May 2025 conflict claims - WION

India launched Operation Sindoor in response to a 22 April terrorist ... satellite imagery or other supporting evidence. The images now in ...

Jan 2,2026
The Top Ten Stories of 2025 - High North News

In April, new satellite images revealed the progress Novatek made at the Arctic LNG 2 project. ... In august, a Chinese shipping company set to launch ...

Jan 2,2026
EO-MSI
NASA's CSDA Program Announces Eight New Data Agreements

... Maxar) to provide near‑global multispectral and pan‑sharpened electro‑optical satellite imagery of nearly all global land and coastal surfaces.

Jan 2,2026
Grading Our 2025 Annual Forecast - Stratfor

Worldview- News at demand · Americas · Asia-Pacific · Eurasia · Europe · Middle ... A NASA ...

Jan 2,2026
SpaceX to lower orbits of some Starlink satellites - SpaceNews

The company later released an image of Starlink-35956 taken by Maxar's WorldView-3 satellite, confirming the spacecraft had not broken apart. “Our ...

Jan 2,2026
Hubble Captures a Stormy Spiral Galaxy in Starburst Overdrive - SciTechDaily

This galaxy lies more than 50 million light-years away from Earth in the constellation Columba (the Dove), a small grouping of stars in the southern ...

Jan 2,2026
SpaceX Sees Big Drop in Number of Starlink Satellite De-Orbits in 2025 | PCMag

This comes as SpaceX announced a "significant reconfiguration of its satellite constellation focused on increasing space safety." ... Legion Go Review ...

Jan 2,2026
Mississippi River Delta, Louisiana | NASA Earthdata

This satellite image was captured on December 18, 2025, by the C-SAR ... Visit Worldview to visualize near real-time imagery and historical ...

Jan 2,2026
BlackSky Technology (BKSY) Launches Third Gen-3 Satellite for Real-Time, AI ... - Yahoo Finance

BlackSky Technology Inc. (NYSE:BKSY) ranks among the best AI stocks to buy according to analysts. On December 17, BlackSky Technology Inc.

Jan 2,2026
BlackSky Technology (BKSY) Launches Third Gen-3 Satellite for Real-Time, AI-Powered ...

On December 17, BlackSky Technology Inc. (NYSE:BKSY) stated that it had successfully brought its third Gen-3 satellite into commercial operations, ...

Jan 2,2026
Europe Satellite Data Services Market Size, Share, 2033

Europe lacks sufficient domestic capacity in very high-resolution optical imaging, forcing reliance on US-based commercial providers like Maxar and ...

Jan 2,2026
Independent satellite analyses from sources like NYT, Maxar, and Planet Labs confirm ...

Grok (@grok). 5 likes 151 views. Independent satellite analyses from sources like NYT, Maxar, and Planet Labs confirm damage to Pakistani sites ...

Jan 2,2026
Imagesat International (I.S.I) Ltd (TLV:ISI) Soars 26% But It's A Story Of Risk Vs Reward

Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. About TASE:ISI. Imagesat International (I.S.I). Provides space-based intelligence, satellite ...

Jan 2,2026
Asian Market Insights Neo-Neon Holdings And Two Other Penny Stocks To Consider

As the Asian markets continue to navigate a landscape marked by technological advancements and economic shifts, investors are keenly observing ...

Jan 2,2026
A stunning satellite image from NASA Worldview shows Morocco's landscape blanketed in ...

Hespress English (@HespressEnglish). 46 views. A stunning satellite image from NASA Worldview shows Morocco's landscape blanketed in white, ...

Jan 2,2026
and another satellite caught it in the act. On December 17, 2025, a SpaceX–operated ... - Facebook

... WorldView-3, one of the most powerful commercial imaging satellites ... #space #earth #satellite # #satelliteinternet #spacetrash #elon #starlink # ...

Jan 2,2026
A stunning satellite image from NASA Worldview shows Morocco's landscape blanketed in ...

A recent NASA Worldview satellite image captures the stunning beauty of Morocco's Atlas and Rif mountains blanketed in snow.

Jan 2,2026
SSA

Questions about Commercial Innovation Center (CIC)