Vice Adm. Robert Murrett, director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), told reporters yesterday that commercial imagery would become more important after the government launches its own satellites. He said:

"We are the single strongest supporter of the commercial remote sensing industry. It is absolutely integral to our success and is a fundamental building block for what we do as an agency. ...The point that people need to not lose sight of is what a huge chunk of our mission capability is comprised by the commercial remote sensing industry, and how we have programmed for and embedded it in our architecture in ways that are irreversible for many, many years into the future."

- Reuters