Array Labs, Umbra Space, and Raytheon partner to advance 3D Earth observation
PALO ALTO, Calif. - Raytheon, an RTX business in Arlington, Va., Array Labs, in Palo Alto, and Umbra Space in Santa Barbara, both in Calif., have signed a three-way teaming agreement to accelerate the development and deployment of advanced 3D Earth observation technologies. The partnership seeks to enhance the availability of 3D geospatial products for commercial and government clients.
The collaboration’s centerpiece, Site3D, combines synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technology with advanced mapping algorithms to create detailed three-dimensional models of Earth’s surface. These SAR-generated point clouds can also support applications like digital surface models, volumetric estimation, and automated change detection.
Site3D, designed for high-value terrains and infrastructure, will offer regular revisit schedules, monitoring capabilities, and customizable tasking options. Its commercial release is expected in the coming months. The product aims to bridge the gap between prototype development and large-scale deployment in the space industry.
“As teammates, Raytheon and Umbra provide the ideal combination of technical savvy and strategic conviction, which will help us educate customers, bring 3D data products to market faster, and launch our own satellite imaging clusters,” said Andrew Peterson, CEO of Array Labs.
Raytheon’s background in 3D processing is a large component of the collaboration. “Raytheon’s precise 3D processing algorithms, developed over two decades of working with electro-optical imagery, are now being adapted in collaboration with Array Labs for SAR applications,” said Erich Hernandez-Baquero, vice president of Space Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance at Raytheon. “This opens exciting new opportunities in commercial SAR and allows us to achieve accurate results, unrestricted by cloud coverage.”
Umbra’s SAR capabilities further bolster the initiative. “Array and Raytheon have transformed our data into a totally new product applicable to customers we never would have known existed,” said Joe Morrison, vice president of remote sensing at Umbra.
Applications for Site3D include monitoring critical infrastructure, rapid volumetric assessments, risk modeling, and situational awareness through updated terrain data. The partnership aims to expand the use of 3D geospatial data across commercial, defense, intelligence, and civilian sectors.
Jamie Whitney
Jamie Whitney joined the staff of Military & Aerospace Electronics and Intelligent Aerospace. He brings seven years of print newspaper experience to the aerospace and defense electronics industry.
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