BlackSky Successfully Commissions Gen-3 in Less Than One Week Opening Gen-3 General Availability for Global Customer Base

Key Terms

ai-enabled analytics technical

AI-enabled analytics are computer tools that use artificial intelligence to sift through large amounts of data, spot patterns, make predictions and present insights in a clear way—like a smart assistant that quickly sorts and highlights the most important items in a crowded inbox. For investors this matters because it can speed decision-making, reveal risks or opportunities that humans might miss, and potentially improve forecasting, efficiency and competitive advantage.

constellation technical

A constellation is a group of interconnected companies or assets that move together because they are affected by similar factors or industry trends. For investors, understanding these groupings helps identify patterns, manage risks, and spot opportunities by seeing how different parts of the market are linked and influenced by common forces.

onboard processing systems technical

Onboard processing systems are the computers and software built into a device—such as a vehicle, aircraft, ship, or medical instrument—that collect and analyze data locally instead of sending everything to remote servers. For investors, they matter because local processing affects product performance, regulatory approval, production cost, cybersecurity risk, and the ability to add features or sell services; think of them as the device’s brain that enables fast, reliable decisions without relying on a distant control center.

propulsion technical

Propulsion is the system or method that makes a vehicle, vessel, or machine move—think of it as the engine and its fuel delivering the push or thrust, like the motor and gas that drive a car forward. For investors, propulsion matters because differences in efficiency, cost, reliability, and environmental impact can shape a manufacturer’s competitiveness, operating expenses, regulation exposure, and market demand, much like a more fuel‑efficient car attracts buyers and lowers running costs.

Industry-leading achievement makes daily service for best-in-class 35-centimeter imagery and AI-enabled analytics available to customers through BlackSky Spectra®

HERNDON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- BlackSky Technology Inc. (NYSE: BKSY) has successfully commissioned the fourth Gen-3 satellite in less than one week following launch, opening general availability for its advanced, next-generation Gen-3 capabilities to all global customers. This industry-leading achievement makes daily service for best-in-class 35-centimeter imagery and AI-enabled analytics available to customers through BlackSky Spectra.

A Gen-3, unit four, very high-resolution image captured just days following launch displays the remarkable clarity and quality of the company’s best-in-class 35-centimeter imagery. Sharper imagery reduces ambiguity and contributes to better AI analytics development with stronger insights for end users. The BlackSky image details morning maritime port and railyard operations at Gqeberha, South Africa, on March 9, 2026 at 9:44 a.m.

“With immediate additional capacity integrated into live operations, customers experience a pivotal qualitative increase in how they see, understand, and anticipate changes at the tactical edge,” said Brian O’Toole, BlackSky CEO. "Commissioning our latest Gen-3 in just days gets critical capability into our customers’ hands quickly, increases each satellite’s operational lifespan and ultimately expands the total ROI of our on-orbit assets.”

Gen-3 general availability opens opportunities for BlackSky’s global customer base to directly task daytime, twilight, and nighttime collections to support persistent monitoring and rapid response to emerging events. BlackSky’s proprietary AI-enabled analytics give customers the ability to detect and classify vehicles, vessels and aircraft of strategic interest and observe critical pattern-of-life changes over time. The combined value of daily Gen-3 and hourly Gen-2 monitoring capabilities gives customers an immensely powerful high-cadence, time-diverse view of the operational landscape.

“BlackSky is delivering trustworthy on-orbit capability now to the most demanding military and intelligence organizations in the world at disruptive scale and economics. Our ability to develop, build and deploy Gen-3 at a rapid pace fulfills our commitment to accelerate real-world decision workflows in real time,” said O’Toole.

BlackSky’s rapid commissioning process includes establishing communications and quickly verifying system functionality for propulsion, positioning and power. The process also includes calibrating the imagery sensor payload, onboard processing systems and testing automated operations, a process that traditionally may take many months to accomplish.

The entire Gen-3 constellation has consistently delivered initial images with remarkable clarity and uniform quality, detailing vehicles, maritime vessels, and aircraft of various sizes, as well as individual people and their shadows. Sharper imagery reduces ambiguity and contributes to better analytics development with stronger insights for end users.

About BlackSky

BlackSky is a real-time, space-based intelligence company that delivers on-demand, high frequency imagery, analytics, and high-frequency monitoring of the most critical and strategic locations, economic assets, and events in the world. BlackSky owns and operates one of the industry’s most advanced, purpose-built commercial, real-time intelligence systems that combines the power of the BlackSky Spectra® tasking and analytics software platform and our proprietary low earth orbit satellite constellation.

With BlackSky, customers can see, understand and anticipate changes for a decisive strategic advantage at the tactical edge, and act not just fast, but first. BlackSky is trusted by some of the most demanding U.S. and international government agencies, commercial businesses, and organizations around the world. BlackSky is headquartered in Herndon, VA, and is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange as BKSY. To learn more, visit www.blacksky.com and follow us on X.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws with respect to BlackSky. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections, and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this document. If any of these risks materialize or underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements reflect our expectations, plans, or forecasts of future events and views as of the date of this communication. We anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause their assessments to change. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any subsequent date, and we do not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. Additional risks and uncertainties are identified and discussed in BlackSky’s disclosure materials filed from time to time with the SEC which are available at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov or on BlackSky’s Investor Relations website at https://ir.blacksky.com.

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Investor Contact
Aly Bonilla
VP, Investor Relations
abonilla@blacksky.com

Media Contact
Pauly Cabellon
Sr. Director, External Communications
bksypr@blacksky.com

Source: BlackSky