WASHINGTON — The Obama administration on Tuesday approved the purchase of pricey new spy satellites and will buy more commercial imagery from the private sector to plug immediate gaps in satellite coverage.
Defense giant Lockheed Martin of Bethesda, Md., is almost certain to win the secret multibillion-dollar contract.
An intelligence official, who spoke to reporters shortly after the White House approved the program, said the new spy satellites would offer the same capability of those now in use.
At the same time, the White House has also agreed to boost the amount of commercial imagery it buys. It now spends $25 million a month with DigitalGlobe of Longmont, Colo., and GeoEye of Dulles, Va., buying private imagery that can show outlines of objects as small as 16 inches.
The new contract will be large enough to pay for the construction and launch of two new commercial satellites with the same capabilities as those now in orbit. The new contract will include “guaranteed access” — that is, top priority and the ability to direct the satellites if there is a war or another emergency.
