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.

Capella Space Active RF
Capella Space Active RF
the CIC encourages partnerships, increases data accessibility, integrates app development, and facilitates the creation of transition-ready prototypes
the CIC encourages partnerships, increases data accessibility, integrates app development, and facilitates the creation of transition-ready prototypes

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
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
Live coverage: SpaceX to launch return to flight Falcon 9 mission following brief stand down

... satellite constellation. Nearly 8.5 minutes after liftoff, B1088 will ... Image: NASA/Kim Shiflett. Following the arrival of the Crew-12 ...

Feb 7,2026
Her father's war grave in Gaza was bulldozed by Israel. Amid the grief and anger, she wants answers

... satellite imagery shows the worst of the damage has been sustained. An IDF spokesperson claimed the military destroyed the graves to deal with ...

Feb 7,2026
Ukraine fired a barrage of Flamingo missiles at Russia's Oreshnik missile base—and ...

Analysis group CyberBoroshno bought commercial satellite imagery of ... Satellite imagery confirms Ukraine's Flamingo missiles scored 4/4 ...

Feb 7,2026
U.S. and Iran hold nuclear talks amid threats of regional war - The Washington Post

National SecurityForeign PolicyIntelligenceJusticeMilitary. U.S. and ... satellite imagery. Analysts and officials say the buildup falls short ...

Feb 7,2026
Iran to unveil new satellite and space facility - TV BRICS

Iran will present a new satellite, imagery products and a space facility, underscoring expanding domestic space capabilities and sustained ...

Feb 7,2026
Severnaya Zemlya May Be The Last Major Land Discovery On Planet Earth - IFLScience

With satellite imagery of pretty much every corner of Earth readily available, we are used to the whole of planet Earth being known to humans.

Feb 7,2026
The February 6, 2026 briefing is hot off the presses from Western Water Assessment

Real-time estimates of SWE based on satellite imagery suggest significantly poorer snowpack conditions compared to SNOTEL measurements of SWE.

Feb 7,2026
Iran's Secret Out Amid Oman Talks? As Araghchi Keeps US Busy, Satellite Images Expose ...

As Araghchi Keeps US Busy, Satellite Images Expose Nuclear Sites. 19K views · 6 hours ago. #Iran #IRGC #SteveWitkoff ...more. Hindustan Times. 8.6M.

Feb 7,2026
Red Tide Status Update: 2/6/26 - The Bradenton Times

Bloom concentrations (>100,000 cells/liter) were not observed. We continue to use satellite imagery (USF and NOAA NCCOS) to help track nearshore and ...

Feb 7,2026
China sends fourth 'Shenlong' reusable spacecraft mission into orbit

It was China's fourth launch of such a prototype spacecraft since 2020, all of them conducted at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre using the Long ...

Feb 7,2026
Satellite images may reveal Iran trying to recover material from bombed nuclear sites - CBC

New satellite images from Earth-imaging company Planet Labs PBC show roofs have been built over two damaged buildings at the Isfahan and Natanz ...

Feb 7,2026
Satellite Data Points to Swift Iranian Missile Recovery After 12-Day War

Key Developments. Satellite imagery shows rapid repair of multiple Iranian missile facilities. Nuclear sites received slower, partial reconstruction ...

Feb 7,2026
Agricultural Film, Feed Bins, Apps, Trailers & Lenders 2026 - Farmonaut

Weather forecasting & auto-alerts · Satellite image-driven vegetation indices (NDVI, EVI, etc.) · Resource, fleet, & water management · Blockchain ...

Feb 7,2026
A Grand, Snow-Rimmed Canyon - NASA Science

View more Images of the Day: A satellite image centered on North Carolina shows white snow covering most of the state, Feb 6, 2026.

Feb 7,2026
Rooftop Solar Panel Detection from Satellite Imagery Using Detection Transformer for Indian Terrain

The paper presents a novel approach to detecting rooftop solar panels in satellite imagery, particularly within the context of India's urban and ...

Feb 7,2026
Daily Report | Air & Space Forces Magazine

Pentagon's Commercial Tech Hub on the Hunt for Missile Tracking Sensors, Satellite Disposal ... intelligence, according to a senior Pentagon official.

Feb 7,2026
Elon Musk Is Betting Another Tech Conglomerate (His) Can Win Over Wall St.

SpaceX, Elon Musk's rocket and satellite company and the crown jewel of his business empire, and xAI, his cash-burning artificial intelligence and ...

Feb 7,2026
than 140000 people have been evacuated in northwestern Morocco due to floods ... - Facebook

Preliminary #NASA satellite data showed nearly 8 inches of rain in some parts of the region. ... Drone footage and satellite imagery from NASA captured ...

Feb 7,2026
Satellite imagery is redrawing India's archaeological map - ThePrint

At History Literature Festival in Hyderabad, panelists concluded that the 'invisible' only becomes archaeological knowledge when satellite data ...

Feb 7,2026
This morning's GOES-19 satellite imagery shows that strong winds overnight shifted the ice ...

This morning's GOES-19 satellite imagery shows that strong winds overnight shifted the ice southward, as expected. As a result, approximately 4-10 ...

Feb 7,2026
Satellite Launches
Ukraine fired a barrage of Flamingo missiles at Russia's Oreshnik missile base—and ...

Kapustin Yar Oreshnik launch site Map: Euromaidan Press. Satellite images show no cruise missile impacts. The Ukrainian military circulated a video ...

Feb 7,2026
Iran vows to 'target US bases' if American forces launch an attack: report - 930 WFMD

SATELLITE IMAGES REVEAL ACTIVITY AT IRAN NUCLEAR SITES BOMBED BY US, ISRAEL. Regarding Friday's nuclear talks, Araghchi said, “It was a good start ...

Feb 7,2026
Iran vows to 'target US bases' if American forces launch an attack: report - Fox News

SATELLITE IMAGES REVEAL ACTIVITY AT IRAN NUCLEAR SITES BOMBED BY US, ISRAEL. President Donald Trump raises his fist while visiting U.S. troops in ...

Feb 7,2026
SpaceX plans Vandenberg rocket launch today. How to watch livestream - The Desert Sun

The mission's goal is to deploy 25 Starlink internet satellites into low-Earth orbit. · The launch is targeted for Saturday, Feb. 7, with a window ...

Feb 7,2026
SpaceX is hiring to turn Elon Musk's plan for data centers in space a reality

Alan Dyer/Stocktrek Images/Getty Images. Feb 7, 2026, 2:41 AM PT ... SpaceX is planning to launch a million satellites to operate as data centers.

Feb 7,2026
China launches reusable spacecraft for fourth time since 2020 | Reuters

China successfully launched into orbit a reusable experimental spacecraft aboard a Long March-2F carrier rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch ...

Feb 7,2026
Target locked? How satellites can help the USS Abraham Lincoln set its primary targets in Iran

... satellites to identify targets long before its aircraft launch. From capturing high-resolution images to intercepting radar signals, these space ...

Feb 7,2026
China sends fourth 'Shenlong' reusable spacecraft mission into orbit

It was China's fourth launch of such a prototype spacecraft since 2020, all of them conducted at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre using the Long ...

Feb 7,2026
Has the YJ-15 missile been deployed to the Chinese navy? A photo gives clues

... launch platform. The weapon is a big leap in the PLA Navy's anti-ship ... The YJ-15 integrates advanced satellite, radar and infrared imaging ...

Feb 7,2026
NASA space telescope sees interstellar visitor comet 3I/ATLAS flare up while exiting the solar system

... images side by side, the one on the left shows a large glowing ball ... launches into a clear blue sky backdropped by a large body. 4 upper ...

Feb 7,2026
SpaceX shifts away from Dragon launches at pad 39A as Starship looms - Spaceflight Now

... imaging satellites on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket Saturday. The Falcon 9 lifted off at 5:21 a.m. EDT (0921 GMT) from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Air ...

Feb 7,2026
Space X targeting Saturday morning for Falcon 9 rocket launch - KEYT

Saturday for 25 Starlink satellites in support of a Falcon 9 Rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base. ... Hide images. Pause animations.

Feb 7,2026
3 Reasons Why Rocket Lab Stock Is a Millionaire Maker​ - The Globe and Mail

Image source: Getty Images ... That quick timeframe will free up resources for multi-launch deals and large satellite manufacturing contracts in the ...

Feb 7,2026
China launches reusable spaceplane on fourth secretive orbital mission - SpaceNews

... Satellite Launch Center Feb. 7 local time without providing a time for ... Images of an apparent payload fairing for an earlier launch further this ...

Feb 7,2026
Yale lab identifies dozens of suicide drones in RSF-controlled Nyala - Sudan Tribune

... satellite imagery to monitor the nearly three-year war in Sudan ... launch platforms remained visible in satellite imagery. Yale HRL also ...

Feb 7,2026
Elon Musk may be making a Starlink mobile device with satellite connectivity, but it's not a phone

The company's goal is to launch a device that connects to the Starlink satellite internet constellation and challenge smartphones. ... images/users/.

Feb 7,2026
Satellite Imagery Shows Deadly Storm Crossing Philippines - Yahoo

Top Stories: Chocolate candy recall · TrumpRx launches · Olympics opening ceremony · Nancy Guthrie latest · DHS shutdown looms · Trump admin firing ...

Feb 7,2026
AFR India built orbiting satellite clicks International Space Station while in orbit

... imaging precision. "To our ... According to him, the plan is to have this payload feature in other satellite be launched by the company.

Feb 7,2026
Iran to unveil new satellite and space facility - TV BRICS

The country's space programme began with the successful launch of the domestically developed Omid satellite, which operated in orbit for several ...

Feb 7,2026
Ukraine launches verification of Starlink terminals - MSN

... satellite internet terminals. Therefore, only verified and ... Photo: Ukraine has launched verification of all Starlink terminals (Getty Images) ...

Feb 7,2026
SSA

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