Davis, who served as the Chief of the United States Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT) before leaving the job.
Satellite company Earth-observation firm Satellogic has appointed former US National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) president Frank Whitworth as president as it ramps up its defence and intelligence business.
In 2022, retired US Navy vice admiral Whitworth took over the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) where he served until 2025. He joins Satellogic as the company is getting ready to expand its satellite network and boost its work with government and security clients.
Whitworth will be responsible for internal operations and supporting the sales and marketing aspects of the mission, said Satellogic. He will also work on the company’s strategy for defence and intelligence products.
The firm currently has 18 satellites in orbit around the Earth and sells satellite data to governments and private companies. It also offers satellite networks to nations seeking to develop their own earthObservation capabilities.
Satellogic is preparing the launch of its new constellation, called Merlin, which will have a first eight satellites with the aim of observing the planet daily. The first satellite will launch in October and more will follow next year.
The new network will aim at customers who are militaries and intelligence agencies, as well as a wide variety of industries that require information to be updated frequently, including shipping and logistics, the company said.
Whitworth has 36 years of service in the U.S. government. He served in a number of high-ranking intelligence jobs prior to his appointment as head of the NGA, which employs approximately 16,000 people and supplies geospatial data to US troops.
Prior to Satellogic, Whitworth also worked on the Pentagon’s artificial intelligence programme, Maven, that Palantir built.
Satellogic merged with a special-purpose acquisition company in 2022, and is now public. The transaction resulted in a new chairman, former U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.
The appointment provides Satellogic with an executive with significant US intelligence and defense experience as the firm develops its satellite services for government and commercial applications.
