BlackSky Quickly Delivers First Very High-Resolution Images from Third Gen-3 Satellite Less Than 24 Hours Following Launch
This Gen-3, unit three, very high-resolution image captured over the Port of Jebel Ali in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, shows a diversity of port activities including drayage operations – the movement of intermodal cargo containers from boxships via massive ship-to-shore cranes into stacks and then onto tractor trailers - and tugboats actively assisting an oil tanker in docking operations as visible wake trails churn in the deepwater port. The BlackSky image was collected at 10:08 a.m. on November 22, 2025.
BlackSky Technology Inc. (NYSE: BKSY) delivered the first very high-resolution images from the company’s third Gen-3 satellite less than 24 hours following the satellite’s successful launch in November. The company’s advanced, low-latency commercial architecture is delivering decision-quality data at real-time, mission-relevant speed and meeting growing global demand for flexible, secure tactical ISR capabilities.
“BlackSky’s third Gen-3 unit has delivered incredible initial image quality at unprecedented speed -- less than one day from launch,” said Brian O’Toole, BlackSky CEO. “Customers no longer have to wait months typically associated with traditional commissioning timelines. BlackSky’s rapid commissioning process places tasking capacity into customers’ hands quickly and increases the overall operational life of each satellite as they come online sooner.”
With remarkable clarity, the new Gen-3 satellite has delivered imagery detailing vehicles, maritime vessels, and aircraft of various sizes, as well as individual people and their shadows. The new Gen-3 satellite has already demonstrated fully automated tasking to delivery capability. Image quality is expected to increase as final calibrations become complete, and the satellite enters its final operational altitude.
“As BlackSky continues to expand our Gen-3 constellation, this successful mission signifies the value of strategic investments in advancing commercial space-based intelligence capabilities. Our purpose-built software and hardware architecture is uniquely suited to provide secure and flexible commercial services that complement national assets with mission-relevant tactical ISR capability at disruptive speed, scale and economics,” said O’Toole.
BlackSky’s Gen-3 constellation continues to evolve through a regular interval of launches that expand capacity, reduce latency, add flexibility and increase customer applications for automated real-time and predictive battlefield monitoring. BlackSky is leveraging its full technology stack of vertically integrated satellite manufacturing, software and AI solutions to meet global customer demand for guaranteed access to data, when and where customers need it, through novel delivery models like capacity sharing, Assured subscription access or full sovereign systems.