Maxar’s Global Technology Shift from 2D to 3D
Maxar Endeavours to use Space and Earth Intelligence for the future of Geospatial Intelligence
“Imagery is the foundation of our business.”
During the keynote presentation at Canada’s National Geospatial Conference, GeoIgnite “Winter Geo,” on March 1, 2022, Dan Nord, the SVP and GM of Maxar Technologies, spoke about the global tech shift from 2D to 3D as well as Maxar’s global reach. Nord says he runs the Enterprise, or “commercial side” of Maxar Technologies.
Maxar’s impressive imagery has been seen in action during the Ukraine conflict. The company builds, operates, and brings the imagery information down to the ground station where they process the images. This has been a reliable way to prove what is fake and what is not, as satellites can guarantee what is there. This technology has also been used in situations such as the truckers convoy in Ottawa and the floods in Alberta.
Nord explains how Maxar is a “full life-cycle space company.” It includes spacecraft, subsystems, space robotics, satellite access, geospatial foundations, precision mapping, on-demand intelligence, and other geospatial services. When asked why the company works with space and earth intelligence, Nord explains how important staying close to the valuable information from the satellites is.
Maxar was the first company to have 30 cm resolution imagery. He spoke on the importance of having this high resolution on a global scale. This imagery is used for defense, intelligence, and commercial customers. Pipeline planning, flood mapping, topographic mapping, and countless more are included in the list of uses.
Nord spoke on the Evolution of the “Metaverse,” or 3D Web information, as it’s the next way to consume information. He also spoke on the future of Geospatial Reference and how precision mapping can give true, accurate information on a global scale. Satellites can go where drones can’t, and if a satellite goes beyond the boundaries of its contract, Maxar pulls it.
A deep, heartfelt thank you to Maxar Technologies, who was a Platinum Sponsor for the GeoIgnite, Winter Geo conference.
An informative Q and A session followed the Winter Geo livestream. You can watch this talk on Youtube below.
