Week in Space Data, every Friday.
Two Virginia companies that operate satellite constellations collecting radio frequency data from space, with different missions. Spire, based in Vienna, collects weather, aviation and RF reconnaissance data and builds satellites for customers. HawkEye 360, based in Herndon, focuses on signals intelligence for defense and intelligence customers.
| Metric | Spire Global | HawkEye 360 |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | August 2012 | 2015 |
| Headquarters | Vienna, VA | Herndon, VA |
| CEO | Theresa Condor (since 1 Jan 2025; founder Peter Platzer is Executive Chairman) | John Serafini (President and CEO; part of the founding team) |
| Public / Private | Public (NYSE: SPIR), via SPAC merger closed 16 Aug 2021 | Public (NYSE: HAWK), IPO closed 8 May 2026 |
| Employees | 377, incl. 372 full time (31 Dec 2025) | 395 full time and 8 part time (31 Dec 2025) |
| Private funding on record / Market Cap | $128M raised privately before listing; market cap ~$366M | $428M raised privately before listing; public since May 2026 (NYSE: HAWK); market cap ~$1.5B |
| Revenue (FY2025) | $71.6M (down 35%, mainly after the Apr 2025 maritime sale) | $117.7M (up from $67.6M in 2024) |
| Constellation | More than 200 LEMUR satellites deployed since inception; expects more than 75 operating by end of 2026 | Over 30 satellites in orbit (Jun 2026), flown in clusters of three |
| Satellite Type | LEMUR multi-purpose nanosatellites | Tri-satellite clusters |
| Primary RF Capability | AIS, ADS-B and GNSS radio occultation receivers; RF monitoring and emitter geolocation for defense | Detection, geolocation and characterization of RF signals (space-based SIGINT) |
| Key Data Products | Weather and climate data, aviation tracking, space reconnaissance, space services | Customer-tasked signal collection and analytics; area-of-interest data subscriptions |
| Geolocation Approach | Time and frequency difference of arrival and doppler analysis; single-satellite RF geolocation demonstrated on orbit (Q2 2026) | Tri-satellite clusters geolocate RF sources |
| Defense / IC Customers | Selected for Missile Defense Agency SHIELD IDIQ; retained US federal maritime (AIS) work after the Kpler sale | NRO (largest customer, 39% of 2025 revenue), NGA, US Space Force Joint Commercial Operations cell |
| Commercial Customers | Agriculture, logistics, financial services, insurance, aviation, energy, academia | Selective commercial work in maritime safety, security and communications regulation compliance |
| Satellites for Customers | Space Services: customers deploy their own constellations on Spire's platform | Customized satellite clusters for dedicated or sovereign systems |
| Key Differentiator | Multi-mission constellation: weather, aviation, RF reconnaissance and space services | Calls itself the first commercial provider of space-based SIGINT |
Figures as of Nov 10, 2026 (auto-updated daily from company profiles). Information only, not investment advice. Full disclaimer
Spire operates a constellation of LEMUR nanosatellites and says it has deployed more than 200 of them since its founding. Its software-defined sensors include AIS receivers for ships, ADS-B receivers for aircraft and GNSS radio occultation receivers, which capture temperature, humidity and pressure data for weather forecasting. On April 25, 2025, Spire sold its maritime business to Kpler for about $238.9 million, keeping its satellite network and certain maritime work for US federal government customers. Spire has since launched space-based RF intelligence for defense and security, including emitter geolocation using time difference of arrival, frequency difference of arrival and doppler analysis, and in the second quarter of 2026 it demonstrated single-satellite RF geolocation on orbit. Through Space Services, customers can also deploy their own constellations on Spire's platform.
HawkEye 360 is built around signals intelligence. It has over 30 satellites in orbit, flown in tri-satellite clusters that locate RF sources such as GPS interference, and it describes itself as the first commercial provider of space-based SIGINT. Most of its work is customer-tasked signal collection and analytics, with some revenue from data subscriptions over areas of interest. In December 2025 it acquired Innovative Signal Analysis (ISA), adding signal processing technology.
HawkEye 360's revenue is concentrated in national security. The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) was its largest customer in 2025, at 39% of revenue, and its top three customers made up about 66%. The NRO's Commercial Systems Program Office awarded it a contract in September 2022 to provide commercial RF intelligence, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) extended a contract for RF emitter data in September 2024, and it also holds contracts with the US Space Force's Joint Commercial Operations cell.
Spire's government work spans weather and defense. In 2025 it won an $11.2 million one-year NOAA contract for radio occultation data and a renewal from EUMETSAT for satellite weather data, and it was selected by the Missile Defense Agency for the SHIELD indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract. Three government customers generated about 43% of Spire's 2025 revenue.
Spire became public in August 2021 through a merger with the SPAC NavSight Holdings. Its revenue was $71.6 million in 2025, down 35% from $110.5 million in 2024, mainly because of the maritime sale. HawkEye 360 completed its initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange in May 2026. Its revenue was $117.7 million in 2025, up from $67.6 million in 2024, and $49.8 million in the second quarter of 2026, up 87% year on year.
Track Earth observation and RF analytics companies on SpaceNexus