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
Abandoned Building Fire - YouTube

15K views · 14:46 · Go to channel Bendobrown. 6 Free Satellite Imagery Tools Every Investigator Should Know. Bendobrown. New. 526K views · 6:15 · Go ...

Feb 2,2026
Iran weighs nuclear diplomacy with US to cool fears of war - Reuters

Tensions high after US naval build-up in Mideast · Iran missiles bigger obstacle than enrichment, sources say · Satellite imagery suggests some repair ...

Feb 2,2026
Images show Russia resuming Ukraine strikes after cold weather pause - BBC News

We were able to match buildings seen in the footage with recent satellite imagery showing damage at the airport. We also checked the airport terminal ...

Feb 2,2026
Viasat launches satellite service portfolio for government UAV ops - ADS Advance

Viasat launches satellite service portfolio for government UAV ops ... intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), emergency response and ...

Feb 2,2026
Chinese Private Space Firm Aims to Cut Satellite Costs in Half - YouTube

One of those companies is GalaxySpace, which is aiming to reduce satellite costs by 50%. Peter Huang, the satellite maker's General Manager for ...

Feb 2,2026
Toyota, Airbus invest in satellite connectivity startup CesiumAstro - Global Venturing

CesiumAstro has secured $470m from investors including Airbus and Toyota, as it aims to build out its satellite connectivity technology.

Feb 2,2026
Algeria accelerates space program with two satellite launches in two weeks - Ecofin Agency

Algeria places Alsat-3B into orbit two weeks after launching Alsat-3A Satellite boosts high-resolution imaging for mapping, resources, and risk.

Feb 2,2026
Pre-Process 20 Terabytes of Raw Data in the Satellite - All-About-Industries

Memory management: Efficient memory management for large image data. Power Optimization: Adaptive algorithms depending on the available satellite ...

Feb 2,2026
Transcelestial Expands Satellite Laser-Link Efforts | Aviation Week Network

The Singapore-based company will provide Indian satellite startup HEX20 an intra-satellite link payload for a microsatellite due for launch next ...

Feb 2,2026
Iran to Unveil First Images from Its Most Advanced Imaging Satellite "Paya" - WANA News

Iran will unveil the first images captured by Paya, the country's most advanced domestically developed imaging satellite, on Tuesday...

Feb 2,2026
The color of nighttime light affects our moods beyond brightness | Nature Cities

This fusion of satellite observations, social media analytics and artificial intelligence goes beyond aggregate city-level patterns and reveals ...

Feb 2,2026
#spacetech #esper #innovation | Esper Satellite Imagery | 10 comments - LinkedIn

Esper Satellite Imagery's Post ; Sumi Sugathan, graphic · Sumi Sugathan · 7h · Congratulations ; Omar Khan, graphic. Omar Khan · 3h · Masha'Allah Alf ...

Feb 2,2026
We have powerful ships over there: Trump reacts to 'regional war' threat by Khamenei

Chinese Satellite Imagery Sheds Light on U.S. Military Activity as Iran Signals Strategic Readiness. Cross World News. New. 44K views · 7:32.

Feb 2,2026
Algeria Launches ALSAT-3B, Its Second Satellite of 2026 - Space in Africa

The satellite was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre ... imagery for Earth observation and strengthen Algeria's geospatial intelligence ...

Feb 2,2026
Visualising Confinement: Creating 3D Models of Greek Detention Centres

... satellite imagery, legal documents, witness testimonies, photographs ... The team used Google Earth Pro and other satellite resources to establish ...

Feb 2,2026
The 28 January 2026 landslide at the Rubaya mine complex. - Eos.org

Note also the area on the left of the image, where there is a large tension crack across the slope. As yet, satellite imagery of the Rubaya area ...

Feb 2,2026
Airbus Defence and Space and ST Engineering have signed two Memorandums of ...

... satellite imagery analysis. By applying advanced AI techniques to geospatial data, the collaboration will enhance object detection, change ...

Feb 2,2026
Georgia's Saturday snow seen from weather satellite - YouTube

... Tik Tok: https://bit.ly/3RC8U4p. Georgia's Saturday snow seen from weather satellite. 1.9K views · 12 hours ago ...more. Atlanta News First. 438K.

Feb 2,2026
Airbus, ST Engineering to explore new 3D radar capabilities and AI-powered space solutions

“By combining Airbus' space and geospatial expertise with ST Engineering's strong digital and satellite systems capabilities, we are well positioned ...

Feb 2,2026
Opening Address by Minister-in-charge of Energy and Science & Technology in the Ministry ...

We will establish a multi-agency operations centre that will support government agencies with satellite tasking and bespoke geospatial data analytics.

Feb 2,2026
Satellite Launches
Researchers Launch Roman Empire 'Google Maps' - Colombia One

The team utilized archaeological data, milestones, 19th-century topographic maps, and satellite imagery. They even consulted aerial photographs ...

Feb 2,2026
Singapore's first AI nanosatellite to be launched under $200m national space push

SaRC executive director Lim Wee Seng said raw satellite imaging data accumulates quickly, and a small satellite may collect up to gigabytes of imagery ...

Feb 2,2026
Chinese Private Space Firm Aims to Cut Satellite Costs in Half - YouTube

China is accelerating its space ambitions with private firms playing a bigger role. One of those companies is GalaxySpace, which is aiming to ...

Feb 2,2026
Modern Northstar: Starlink LEO PNT across land, air, stratosphere and Arctic Seas

In January 2015, SpaceX publicly announced its plan to launch Starlink: a mega constellation of nearly 12,000 satellites in low-Earth orbit (LEO) ...

Feb 2,2026
Iran Prepares Second Nahid-2 Satellite for Launch; Nahid-3 in Design Phase -

The second prototype of Iran's Nahid-2 satellite is expected to reach “launch-ready” status within approximately one month,...

Feb 2,2026
Opening Address by Minister-in-charge of Energy and Science & Technology in the Ministry ...

In 2022, we launched NeuSAR, the world's first fully polarimetric small Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite. ... It can capture images day or ...

Feb 2,2026
Leonardo Begins Building Satellites For Multi-Sensor LEO Constellation - Aviation Week

The first satellites are due to be launched before the end of next year ... The constellation is likely to feature a mix of radar imaging spacecraft, ...

Feb 2,2026
Algeria accelerates space program with two satellite launches in two weeks - Ecofin Agency

Algeria places Alsat-3B into orbit two weeks after launching Alsat-3A Satellite boosts high-resolution imaging for mapping, resources, and risk.

Feb 2,2026
Transcelestial Expands Satellite Laser-Link Efforts | Aviation Week Network

The Singapore-based company will provide Indian satellite startup HEX20 an intra-satellite link payload for a microsatellite due for launch next year, ...

Feb 2,2026
Iran to Unveil First Images from Its Most Advanced Imaging Satellite "Paya" - WANA News

The Paya satellite, also known as Tolou-3, was launched into space on 28 December alongside two other Iranian satellites, Kosar and Zafar-2, aboard a ...

Feb 2,2026
Ukraine Launches Starlink “White List,” Bans Unverified Terminals to Counter Russian Drone Threat

(Source: Getty Images). Ukraine will introduce mandatory verification of all Starlink satellite terminals through a national “white list,” allowing ...

Feb 2,2026
Eutelsat Halts Sale of its Passive Ground Segment Infrastructure Assets after Conditions ...

Membership Required ; Airbus and Hisdesat Sign Commercialization Agreement for PAZ-2 Satellite Imagery · January 29, 2026 ; Eutelsat Signs Launch ...

Feb 2,2026
Iran to unveil new homegrown satellite, space center on Space Technology Day - Press TV

The head of the Iran Space Agency says the country is set to unveil a new satellite, the first images captured by its recently launched Paya ...

Feb 2,2026
EUMETSAT to continue developing critical infrastructure for Destination Earth

Launched by the European Commission in 2022, DestinE is centred around creating highly accurate models or digital twins of our planet that can ...

Feb 2,2026
Track winter snow cover with new Pure Michigan map | News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM

Travel Michigan's Nick Nerbonne tells us the map was launched ... The map uses National Weather Service information and satellite images to track where ...

Feb 2,2026
Trio of Space Projects to Validate New Tech | Mirage News

Images captured by the satellite will be analysed on board using small ... launches in 2026, 2027, and 2028. The national programme is ...

Feb 2,2026
Algeria Launches ALSAT-3B, Its Second Satellite of 2026 - Space in Africa

The satellite was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch ... Both satellites are designed to deliver high-resolution imagery for Earth observation ...

Feb 2,2026
Senegal to Expand Space Capabilities with GAINDESAT-1B Launch in 2026

Senegal plans to launch its second satellite, GAINDESAT-1B, in 2026 ... The 1U CubeSat collects environmental data and imagery supporting natural ...

Feb 2,2026
China launches AlSat-3B satellite for Algeria - SatellitePro ME

... launched from Jiuquan on January 15 using a Long March 2C rocket. Together, the two satellites will collect data and imagery to support a range of ...

Feb 2,2026
Satellites Swarm into Space: Banks' Risk Control Reaches New Heights - 36氪

... launched on a Long March series carrier rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center. ... satellite remote sensing images, enabling accurate ...

Feb 2,2026
EO-MSI
Iran rebuilds nuclear sites as US weighs strike | The Jerusalem Post

Satellite images show Iran covering and rebuilding parts of Natanz ... (credit: MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS). Before June 2025 ...

Feb 2,2026
CesiumAstro Raises $470M in Growth Capital, CEO Sabripour Calls It a 'Scale Moment'

CesiumAstro raises $270 million plus $200 million in EXIM funding in a "scale moment" for the software-defined satellite tech company.

Feb 2,2026
Singapore's Space Agency Puts the Spotlight on Satellite and Chip Stocks - TipRanks.com

In satellite data, companies such as Planet Labs and BlackSky Technology focus on turning imagery into actionable insights. Their services depend ...

Feb 2,2026
LEO Satellite Market to Reach USD 34.7 Billion by 2032 - Size, - openPR.com

• Maxar Technologies FAQs 1. What is the current size of the LEO satellite market? The LEO satellite market was valued at USD 13.4 billion in 2024 ...

Feb 2,2026
NASA selects Axiom Space for Fifth Private Mission to Space Station - SatellitePro ME

SatellitePro ME addresses all aspects of the satellite industry ... HEO takes ownership of in-orbit satellite in Satellogic deal · CRA ...

Feb 2,2026
China launches AlSat-3B satellite for Algeria - SatellitePro ME

HEO takes ownership of in-orbit satellite in Satellogic deal. 4 days ago. Recommended Stories. Sponsored Content · DIMDEX 2026: Strengthening Secure ...

Feb 2,2026
Airbus & Hisdesat to commercialize PAZ-2 SAR radar imagery

Radar Satellite Constellation With TerraSAR-X. At a high-profile ... Neo · Articles. Jan 29, 11:19. post-picture · Leica Citymapper-3 Airborne ...

Feb 2,2026
Samsung Galaxy S26 Tipped to Be Lighter and Taller - WhatMobile

We have also had verification about the series' Qi 2 wireless input upgrade and Satellite Communication. There's plenty to look forward to. Keep ...

Feb 2,2026
Apple TV's sci-fi dramas that will keep you hooked; 'Severance', 'Constellation' and more​

Lawrence Bishnoi gang claims responsibility for attack on ISI henchman Shahzad Bhatti in Portugal; 'Bhai ke khilaf bolega uski sas band'Things to ...

Feb 2,2026
Is Satellogic (SATL) Quietly Building a Government SaaS Model With Its Extended Albania Deal?

This renewal underscores how a smaller European nation is embedding persistent satellite intelligence into day-to-day governance, moving beyond one- ...

Feb 2,2026
Short Interest Shifts In Constellation Brands While Valuation Looks Supportive

... Constellation Brands, the owner of major beer, wine, and spirits ... OOO97 on Neo Performance Materials · about 1 month ago. Undervalued Key ...

Feb 2,2026
Assessing Gilat Satellite Networks (GILT) Valuation After New Inflight Connectivity Order ...

Gilat Satellite Networks (GILT) recently reported a multimillion ... OOO97 on Neo Performance Materials · about 1 month ago. Undervalued Key ...

Feb 2,2026
Elon Musk's Starlink launches mobile satellite internet that works without installation or a ...

Starlink Mobile Internet aims to transform global connectivity by delivering high-speed satellite broadband to remote areas, moving vehicles, ...

Feb 2,2026
Satellite photos show activity at Iran nuclear sites as protest tensions rise

Satellite photos show activity at Iran nuclear sites as protest tensions rise ... Neo-Nazi fanatic jailed over explosives in garden shed · Stars attend ...

Feb 2,2026
SAR
The two PSLV failures were not related. Failure assessment committees have been set up

On 12 January, ISRO launched its PSLV-C62 mission carrying the strategic satellite Earth Observation Satellite (EOS-N1), along with 15 other Indian ...

Feb 2,2026
ESA Appoints Laurent Jaffart as Director of its New Resilience, Navigation and Connectivity ...

... PAZ-2 Satellite Imagery · Geopolitics News · Airbus and Hisdesat Sign Commercialization Agreement for PAZ-2 Satellite Imagery. by Joshua Faleti.

Feb 2,2026
Tonight we'll see the full Moon swallow a bright star. Here's how to know if you're in the right ...

... constellation Leo. And, if you're in the right part of the world, you'll ... Equipment: Canon EOS R DSLR camera, Sigma 300mm lens. Software ...

Feb 2,2026
Airbus & Hisdesat to commercialize PAZ-2 SAR radar imagery

Airbus And Hisdesat Sign Commercialisation Agreement For Paz-2 · Radar Satellite Constellation With TerraSAR-X · SAR and Market Demand · Government ...

Feb 2,2026
The 28 January 2026 landslide at the Rubaya mine complex. - Eos.org

Note also the area on the left of the image, where there is a large tension crack across the slope. As yet, satellite imagery of the Rubaya area is ...

Feb 2,2026
Airbus, ST Engineering to explore new 3D radar capabilities and AI-powered space solutions

... satellite capabilities and digital solutions. Signed at the Space ... PAZ-2[1] satellite manufactured by Airbus and the commercialisation of ...

Feb 2,2026
Russia Activates First Ground Station for EOS-O Remote Sensing Satellite Control

Russia Activates First Ground Station for EOS-O Remote Sensing Satellite Control. Released on Tuesday, January 27, 2026.

Feb 2,2026
Airbus and Hisdesat sign deal to commercialize PAZ 2 radar constellation with 10 cm ...

AirPro News (@AirProNews). 9 views. Airbus and Hisdesat sign deal to commercialize PAZ 2 radar constellation with 10 cm resolution and increased ...

Feb 2,2026
RF
SSA

Questions about Commercial Innovation Center (CIC)