Space and National Intelligence

Acumen brings exceptional insight into Space, ISR and National Security markets.  We rely on key personnel with decades of experience in these specialized communities to give us access and insight.

Acumen Capability

Acumen gives you unique insight in Space and National Security. This requires our team to work in sensitive areas, even when we are exploring commercial space topics. The rationale is simple. The technology in Space is agnostic between National Security and Commercial. While economics are different, both exploit common technical building blocks and system constructs.

The Space market is growing and is attracting significant private investment. Acumen can dissect space and intelligence markets so you understand the full spectrum of opportunity. We can provide data and expert analysis for constellations, satellite systems, payloads, launch systems, networks, communications, and PED (processing, exploitation & dissemination of information). Examples of recent engagements:

  • Market Assessments – Acumen analyzed all the Unmanned Airborne Systems (UAS) in the DoD, broken down by mission, platform, payloads and ground systems. We created an investment tool for our client with a business case to exploit a revolutionary intelligence capability.
  • Detailed Market Analysis – In a recent report, Acumen profiled every commercial and national security satellite in the world; absent China and Russia. We examined at all the Satellite OEMs and created a detailed database and analysis of competitors in areas selected by the client.
  • M&A and Due Diligence – Acumen has several ongoing engagements where we are looking into very sensitive technologies to prioritize best- case M&A targets. Acumen has also supported diligence of OEMs.

Trends Acumen is Witnessing in Commercial Space Systems

  • Rising demand and declining cost for high-quality space-based services along with a blurring of requirements for LEO/MEO/GEO constellations have radically increased the number of systems in space and the number of countries or multinational organizations that can access space capabilities.
  • The demand for bandwidth and imagery is insatiable. In parallel with new epochs of technology such as 5G, we see concomitant needs for more space capability and capacity. Combined Commercial and National Security demand is driving investment in space.
  • Space is Contested, Congested, and Competitive – Reduced costs of space technologies and new launch services support explosive growth in the number of objects in space. This enables countries to acquire advanced technologies, boosting the globalization of space.
  • Space Buying is Commercial – A key change in National Security Space Markets is the movement away from government satellites to a new paradigm where the government leases ‘high use constellations’ – facilitating new commercial players in government markets.

Trends Acumen is Witnessing in National Intelligence Space Systems

  • Nations continue to suffer from ‘data overload and information starvation’ – driving  programs and investments toward expansion of national abilities to produce and disseminate actionable cyber and  intelligence products – an essential part of national military strategies as well as vital capabilities to protect information networks and critical infrastructure.
  • Approaches to tasking, collection, processing, exploitation, and dissemination (TCPED) architectures and processes are a priority to overcome stubborn stovepipes and yield new advancements. TCPED is the backbone of the IC, and unifying TCPED has the potential to reduce friction and increase speed, a critical capability in the context of a near peer conflict
  • Hi priority new technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, automation, and high performance computing are advancing domestic computational capabilities that can be economically beneficial, however these advances also enable new and improved military and intelligence capabilities for allies and  adversaries.
  • Artificial intelligence, new ASW, autonomous vehicles, and hypersonics, to name just a few, are changing the character of war – and this has a knock-on effect for the intelligence community.
  • New entrant companies are beating long-term incumbents with advanced sensors, multi-int capabilities, and high capacity networks that have a genesis in commercial communities.