United Nations General Assembly hall. Photo: Patrick Gruban.

[Via Satellite 04-29-2016] BlackSky has established an official partnership with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) to jointly explore how satellite imaging can be applied to humanitarian relief, human security, climate change adaptation, sustainable water management, territorial management, high priority peace-keeping missions, maritime monitoring of illegal activity, and more.

UNITAR, created in 1965, is an autonomous body within the United Nations (UN) focused on developing capacities to enhance global decision-making and support country-level action for shaping a better future. BlackSky officially announced its commercial entry into satellite imagery in June 2015, with initial operating capability in 2017 and plans for a 60-satellite constellation in the coming years. The company, a separate but wholly owned unit of Spaceflight, aims to provide cost-effective, high-resolution, rapid-revisit satellite imaging services that capture all of the Earth’s populated area.