WASHINGTON — More than two years after it was acquired and split into two units by private equity firm Advent International, Maxar Technologies is no more — with Maxar Intelligence renamed Vantor, and Maxar Space Systems now called Lanteris Space Systems.
The rebranding was announced today in two separate press releases from the newly named firms.
Maxar Intelligence has been a key provider of remote sensing imagery and AI-driven data fusion products and services to the US Intelligence Community, primarily the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and the National Reconnaissance Office.
For example, Maxar Intelligence was chosen as the prime contractor NGA’s Global Enhanced GEOINT Delivery system, which delivers geospatial intelligence to more than 400,000 US government users, as well as a provider under the agency’s Luno program to gather commercial analysis of satellite imagery. In addition, the firm last year won a Phase 4 contract to push forward the Army’s One World Terrain program to create a 3D virtual map of the globe for mission planning and training.
Peter Wilczynski, chief product officer at Vantor, explained in an interview with Breaking Defense that the rebrand is aimed at shifting perception away from Maxar’s original identify as a satellite imagery provider to a “spatial intelligence company” working across all domains.
“There’s a much bigger opportunity in framing the company as a company that’s solving all domain problems with space technology, as opposed to a company that’s really, really focused on satellites and satellite imagery,” he said. “It’s not 180 degree turn of the wheel, but I think it is a substantial 30 degree shift in the focus, and certainly in terms of where we’re thinking about going into the future.”
In line with the company’s pivot to a spatial intelligence company, Vantor’s release unveiled its Tensorglobe software platform, “that gives customers the tools to automatically fuse data collected across space, air, and ground sensors into a unified, continuously updated intelligence picture.”
Wilczynski said that Tensorglobe combines into one product capabilities the company has been providing separately under different contracts and programs. The platform comprises three basic subcomponents: Coretex, which provides satellite tasking and collection management; Forge, which fuzes data from a variety of sensors to create a 3D “digital globe;” and Nexus, which provides a “gateway” for customers to access that digital information.
That said, Vantor will continue to own and operate Maxar Intelligence’s four legacy electro-optical remote sensing birds, as well as its six new model WorldView Legion satellites providing both high-resolution Earth imagery and imagery of on-orbit objects.
Maxar Space Systems, now Lanteris, is based in Palo Alto, Calif., and manufactures and operates satellite systems. L3Harris last year chose Maxar Space as a subcontractor to build 18 missile tracking satellites under its contract with the Space Development Agency. It also builds the widely sold Maxar-1300 series commercial communications satellites for operations in geosynchronous Earth orbit.
“The rebrand reflects the company’s evolution into a next-generation defense and space technology company operating at the intersection of national security, missile tracking, space infrastructure, deep space exploration and commercial connectivity,” Lanteris said in its press release.
According to the release, Lanteris “roadmap” is centered on:
National Security & Defense Tech – Proven platforms for missile tracking, secure communications and resilient constellations that safeguard U.S. and allied interests.
Space Infrastructure – AI-enabled solutions, industry leading power and propulsion enabling advanced mobility, defense, energy and communications systems.
Connectivity & Exploration – Advanced satellites and deep-space infrastructure extending global reach and enabling human exploration of the Moon, Mars and beyond.
“Our mission is to deliver mission-critical capabilities in space — faster, smarter, and more resilient than ever before, made possible by the dedication and expertise of our people,” said Lanteris CEO Chris Johnson in the release. “From tracking emerging threats to enabling humanity’s push into deep space, we’re building the systems that will define the future of security, communications and exploration.”
Maxar was acquired in December 2022 by Advent International for $6.4 billion, which immediately separated the two sides of the business. Both Vantor and Lanteris will remain (at least for the moment) part of Advent’s stable of companies.