Iceye engineers preparing an imaging flight in late 2017. Photo: Iceye.

The U.S. Department of Defense’s (DOD) Defense Innovation Unit Experimental (DIUx) has agreed to purchase airborne Earth Observation (EO) data support services from microsatellite startup Iceye.

DOD launched DIUx in 2015 to build a bridge between commercial technological innovation and national security endeavors. Headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices in Boston, Massachusetts, Austin, Texas, and the Pentagon, in Arlingon, Virginia, DIUx facilitates DOD’s efforts to identify and work with commercial companies, including Iceye U.S., to help solve national defense problems.

Earlier this year, Iceye announced its expansion into the U.S. with an entity focused on delivering EO data in long-form to its current and prospective clients. Iceye U.S. is also developing data analytics capabilities to support more varied industry specific services.

“Having just opened our U.S. subsidiary, Iceye U.S. is on a fast-track in providing services that will help the public sector,” said Mike Lyons, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Iceye U.S.