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Welcome to the Monday Morning News Kick Off post from got geoint? As always, we hope you had a restful weekend with family, friends and loved-ones. Despite the nice weather, combined with the relaxing times many of us experienced this weekend, Monday morning always comes creeping around. But don’t fret fellow GEOINTers, we have all the news you need to kick start your work week with dignity, aplomb, style, humility and grace. That’s right. We got it all here. So, fire up that second cup of coffee and read on.

Petraeus Fends Off Talk of CIA Job
General David Petraeus, US commander of foreign forces in Afghanistan, admitted he had held talks about his future Saturday while batting away questions about whether he could be the next CIA director. National Public Radio in the United States reported Monday that Petraeus, who is expected to leave his current job later this year, was being seriously considered as the next head of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). When asked about it by reporters in Kabul, Petraeus said: “I think it’s probably not appropriate for me to comment on whatever might be considered at the end of the road. “I’ve had discussions… but it wouldn’t be appropriate to comment.” Read the full AFP story here.

Op-Ed by Michael V. Hayden: Is it OK for Spy Agency Chiefs to Tell the Truth?
So, Jim Clapper was right all along! Remember the stir that the director of national intelligence caused four short weeks ago when he offered this analysis on the situation in Libya: “I just think from a standpoint of attrition, that over time, I mean — this is kind of a stalemate back and forth, but I think over the longer term that the regime will prevail.” Within hours, National Security Adviser Tom Donilon was on a conference call with reporters repudiating Clapper’s analysis for not being informative and charging that it was neither “dynamic” nor “multidimensional.” Read the full Cnn.com Op-Ed by Michael V. Hayden here.

SpaceX Plans Bigger Rocket to Seek Air Force Launches
Space Exploration Technologies Corp., the fast-growing company run by former Internet entrepreneur Elon Musk, is looking to expand into the business of launching big U.S. military and spy satellites. Mr. Musk on Tuesday is expected to lay out plans by the closely held, Hawthorne, Calif., company to develop a substantially more-powerful version of its Falcon 9 rocket. The new booster, capable of blasting significantly more than 35 tons into high-earth orbit, is intended to compete for lucrative Air Force launches, now handled by a joint venture between Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp. Read the full WSJ.com article here.

New Video System Takes on Wide-Area Sensor Challenge
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) is deploying a new video-archiving capability that could increase the quantity and quality of the imagery intelligence available to U.S. and coalition military customers. Known as the National System for Geo-Intelligence Video Services (NVS), the product is designed to allow recorded full-motion video to be stored in a central location but accessed virtually through laptop computers and other electronic devices by users at all levels, with additional data features tailored to user preferences. Read the full Defense Systems article here.

BAE Systems Adds Frame Camera Sensor Modeling to Geospatial-intelligence Software
BAE Systems has added new capabilities to its geospatial-intelligence (GEOINT) software, providing enhancements that allow customers to import high-resolution imagery from scanned film and digital airborne sensors. The company’s SOCET GXP® software automates image processing to make analysts more responsive in the operational environment. Film and digital airborne sensors are the primary data sources for many geospatial analysts, particularly in commercial and global markets where acquiring satellite imagery is often not feasible. BAE Systems developed a step-by-step wizard interface to simplify the frame import process, reducing the time required for image processing. Advanced image processing algorithms assist operators with change detection, image classification, identifying anomalies and tracking patterns of activity over time. Read the full press release here.

Harris Corporation Expands Geospatial Services Production Facility in St. Louis, Missouri
Harris Corporation has unveiled its expanded St. Louis facility, which supports programs for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and other federal agencies in the area. Representatives from the NGA and Harris today toured the newly expanded facility and participated in technology demonstrations. The office, located in the historic Blanke Building at 1310 Papin Street, now has double the space previously available for production of high-resolution, imagery-derived geospatial data. Harris provides imagery processing, feature data extraction, mapping and charting, and production management for the NGA’s Global Geospatial-Intelligence (GGI) program. These intelligence products are provided by the NGA to policy makers, military decision makers and warfighters. The products also can be tailored to support civilian federal agencies and select international organizations. Read the full press release here.

Virgin Dives Deep for Google Earth, Maps Data
Google has sponsored British entrepreneur Richard Branson’s two-year expedition to the deepest parts of the world’s oceans, in hopes of adding to its Google Earth and Maps services. Branson this week unveiled the Virgin Oceanic submarine – a one-person craft that was made of 3.6 tonnes of carbon fibre and titanium, and could plunge 11.2 kilometres underwater. According to Virgin Oceanic’s webpage, the craft could operate for 24 hours unaided and travel up to 10 kilometres over the ocean floor while collecting video and data. During the next 24 months, Branson and chief pilot Chris Welsh planned to take the airplane-shaped craft to trenches in the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern and Arctic Oceans. Read the full IT News article here.

Tags: BAE Systems, CIA and Michael V. Hayden, CIA Director and Petraeus, General Petraeus, geospatial intelligence, got geoint?, Harris Corporation, Harris Corporation and National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Michael V. Hayden, National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, NGA, NGA and Video Archiving, Petraeus, SOCET GXP, Space Exploration Technologies Corp., SpaceX, USGIF