got geoint?

Once again, it is Monday morning and it’s time for the Monday Morning News Kick Off post from got geoint? As we ease our way into the holiday — and dig out from the massive snow storm that hit the east coast — many of us are most likely counting the days until we can spend more down time with family. Or, perhaps many are still knee deep in 2010 planning. Either way, we have served up all the latest actionable news stories for you to kick of your week on the right foot. As we always say, fire up that second cup of coffee and read on!

France Launches New Spy Satellite
France launched a military spy satellite on Friday, space officials said, part of a boost in spending on independent surveillance. It was the first such launch under President Nicolas Sarkozy, who brought France back into NATO’s military command earlier this year after a four-decade hiatus. While cooperating more closely with the United States on military planning, France sees independent access to space intelligence as a strategic priority. The satellite, Helios 2B, blasted off on a European Ariane rocket at 1626 GMT from the European Space Agency launch site in Kourou, French Guiana, on the northeast coast of South America. Read the full ABC News story here.

Chavez Says U.S. Drone Planes Entered Venezuela
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said that U.S. pilotless planes have crossed the border recently from Colombia, and he’s ordered his military to shoot down the drones if they appear in Venezuelan airspace again. A drone was spotted by troops near the Fuerte Mara military base, in the northwestern Zulia state, Chavez said. He said that Colombia and the U.S. are preparing for “aggressions” against Venezuela, after an agreement signed in October allows U.S. troops access to seven Colombian military bases for counternarcotics operations. Read more here.

Israel Pushes New Satellite as Solution to U.S. Space Radar Needs
Israel Aerospace Industries has joined with Northrop Grumman in hopes that they can sell time on a radar imaging satellite to U.S. government agencies. Israel’s Ministry of Defense and contractor IAI developed the TecSAR satellite and is now looking to recoup some of its investment by following in the footsteps of commercial imagery and communication satellite companies that sell their services to U.S. military and intelligence agencies, said Seth Guanu, director of business development for national systems at Northrop Grumman. Read the full article from National Defense Magazine here.

GSA Awards Geospatial Services Agreements to Four Firms
The U.S. General Services Administration announced awards of SmartBUY blanket purchase agreements to provide geospatial software and services to federal, state, local and tribal governments. SmartBUY is a federal government procurement program that promotes effective software management. The SmartBUY awards are co-branded with the Department of Defense enterprise software initiative program. Geospatial technology includes three technologies related to mapping features on the surface of the Earth. These technology systems are global positioning systems, geographical information systems, and remote sensing. Read more here.

NGA’s November/December 2009 Pathfinder Magazine Now Online
The November/December 2009 issue of the Pathfinder is available online here. This issue, titled “The Global Humanitarian Enterprise,” highlights how geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) saves lives by mitigating disasters or aiding in crisis response. The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency publishes the Pathfinder magazine bimonthly to promote public awareness and understanding of the geospatial intelligence discipline. This issue includes the articles “Iraq Relief Operations Build Cooperation,” “New NGA-USDA Techniques Assess Harvest Yields” and “Geospatial Analysis Reveals Water Levels in Arid Regions.” Other features include “GEOINT Focuses World Attention on the Troubled Darfur” and “Deforestation Analysis Complements Cambodia Conflict Assessment.”

Carahsoft to Provide Mapping Platform to Government Customers
USGIF member company Carahsoft Technology Corporation today announced that it has added MapQuest’s Platform products to its GSA schedule. In support of this new offering, Carahsoft will provide proactive sales and marketing support to drive demand for the MapQuest Platform within the public sector marketplace. Read more here. Carahsoft has been making plenty of news lately. The company was recently named to Washington Technology’s Fast 50. Congrats Carahsoft!

ManTech Achieves ‘Non-Conflicted’ Certification from National Reconnaissance Office
ManTech International Corp. announced that it recently received certification as a “non-conflicted” services provider from the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), an agency for the design, acquisition and operation of reconnaissance satellites. The NRO designs, builds and operates the nation’s reconnaissance satellites. NRO products, provided to an expanding list of customers such as the CIA and DoD, can warn of potential trouble spots around the world, help plan military operations, and monitor the environment, according to a release. Read the full press release here.

Happy Monday!

Tags: Carahsoft, Chavez, Chavez and Drones, France spy satellite, GEOINT, geospatial intelligence, GSA, GSA Awards Geospatial Services Agreements, ManTech, National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, National Reconnaissance Office, NGA Pathfinder, Northrop Grumman, NRO, SmartBUY, USGIF