Overview
GeoEye is a leading commercial provider of high-accuracy, high-resolution Earth imagery, and a provider of image-processing services and geospatial information services to U.S. and foreign government defense and intelligence organizations, domestic federal and foreign civil agencies and commercial customers. We own and operate two Earth-imaging satellites, GeoEye-1 and IKONOS, and three airplanes with advanced high-resolution imagery collection capabilities. GeoEye-1 is the world’s highest resolution and most accurate commercial Earth-imaging satellite. In addition to our imagery collection capacities, we are a global leader in the creation of enhanced satellite imagery information products and services.
We believe we are the only major commercial imagery satellite operator that can produce imagery from multiple satellite sources in addition to our own. Our satellite and aerial imagery products and services provide our customers with timely and accurate location intelligence, enabling them to analyze geospatial information and monitor and map areas of interest to their needs and demands. We serve a growing global market that requires high-resolution imagery and precision mapping products for applications in national defense and intelligence, online mapping, environmental monitoring and resource management, energy exploration, asset monitoring, urban planning, infrastructure planning and monitoring, disaster preparedness and emergency response. We own one of the world’s largest libraries of commercial color digital satellite imagery; it contains more than 507 million square kilometers of color imagery of the Earth. We believe the combination of our highly accurate satellite and aerial imaging assets, our high-resolution image processing and production facilities—especially our multi-source production capability—and our color digital imagery library differentiate us from our competitors. This combination enables us to deliver a comprehensive range of imaging products and services to our diverse customer base.
Our Web site is
www.geoeye.com
. We make available free of charge on or through our Web site our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and any amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC. This reference to our Web site is for the convenience of shareholders as required by the SEC and shall not be deemed to incorporate any information on the Web site into this Form 10-K or our other filings with the SEC.
Our Web site is also a key source of important information about us. We routinely post to the About Us/Investor Relations section of our Web site important information about our business, our operating results and our financial condition and prospects, including, for example, information about important acquisitions and dispositions, our earnings releases and certain supplemental financial information related or complementary thereto. We also have a Corporate Governance page in the Investor Relations section of our Web site that includes, among other things, copies of our Code of Business Conduct & Ethics and the charters for each standing committee of our Board of Directors, which currently are: the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee, the Nominating and Governance Committee; the Strategy Committee; and Risk Committee. Copies of our Bylaws and these charters and policies are also available in print to stockholders upon request.
Products and Services
Satellite Imagery
We offer a wide range of high-resolution satellite imagery products that provide our customers with time-critical visual imagery, data and information, which we divide into three general categories:
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Geo.
Our Geo product, which is the foundation of the imagery product line, is a map-oriented image suitable for a broad range of customer uses. Geo images are suitable for customer visualization and monitoring applications and are delivered to our customers in a data and information format capable of being processed into other advanced imagery products using standard commercially available software.
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GeoProfessional.
Our GeoProfessional products consist of imagery that has been aligned and geographically corrected by our experienced staff of production personnel to provide the most accurate and precise imagery currently available from a commercial satellite provider. Our production personnel can also combine various satellite and aerial images into a single, highly detailed and comprehensive image. Available in various levels of accuracy, these GeoProfessional products are suitable for feature extraction, change detection, base mapping and other similar geo-location applications.
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GeoStereo.
Our GeoStereo product uses at least two images of the same location at different angles to provide our customers with a three-dimensional image of a given location. GeoStereo provides the base images that are used for three-dimensional feature recognition and extraction. These GeoStereo products support a wide range of imagery applications such as digital elevation model creation, building height extraction, spatial layers, and three-dimensional feature extraction.
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Aerial Imagery
Our aerial imagery products are designed to support specific customer requests for high-resolution and highly accurate images. We offer two main types of aerial imagery collected by our dedicated fleet of three imaging aircraft: (1) digital aerial imaging; and (2) light detection and ranging, or LiDAR, imaging (an optical remote sensing technology using laser pulses to determine distances to an object or surface). The use of digital aerial imaging provides our commercial and government customers with complete digital images, which can be easily stored in a data management system. The LiDAR technology is a valuable tool for measuring and recording elevation data for use in topographic mapping and three-dimensional terrain and surface modeling, useful in the field of engineering.
Production Services
Images and image products generated by our production service operations are purchased by U.S. government agencies and domestic and international commercial customers, including international governments and state and local governments. Production services typically entail the processing and production of specific data and imagery information products that are built to stringent customer specifications. We have developed advanced processing systems that enable us to process raw data from a wide range of both government and commercial sensors (imaging satellites) and then merge the source images into very precise information and imagery products to meet the needs of a broad range of customers. Our production services range from the generation of precision imagery products (for example, digital elevation maps) to the extraction of site-specific features (for example, airports, highways and buildings) for our customers’ database development.
Our production services, which are designed to increase the accuracy and precision of satellite and aerial imagery, include the following production processes:
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Georectification.
This is a computer-processing operation that corrects the pixel locations of a digital image to remove image distortions caused by the non-vertical pointing and movement of the sensor during the imaging event.
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Tonal Correction.
This is the scientific correction of the color variations between various component images of an image mosaic so that the image or picture reflects a coherent color structure.
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Image Mosaicking.
This is the process of merging or stitching multiple satellite images together. Since images are taken at different look angles, elevations, weather, times and season, etc., they do not match each other tonally or in exact location to the ground. Prior to mosaicking, images are tonally corrected as much as possible. They are also block adjusted — the images are shifted in relation to each other and to ground truth to improve accuracy. The result is a group of images that will match each other in location and color, so they can be stitched together to create a mosaic. The result is one composite image, which is as seamless as possible.
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Orthorectification.
This is the process of accurately registering imagery to ground coordinates and geometrically correcting it for Earth elevation differences at the image location. For example, orthorectification is used to make buildings and objects in an image appear to be standing straight instead of leaning. After processing, the image can be used for a variety of mapping applications, including land use and land-cover classification, terrain analysis, natural resource mapping, backdrops for maps, temporal-change analysis, multi-image fusion, and others.
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Our production services include LiDAR elevation data, maps, topographic maps, digital orthophoto imagery, remote sensing services, survey and inventory services and Geospatial Information System, or GIS, consulting and implementation. We also offer geospatial products and services to help develop and manage geospatial data to support customer documentation needs, inventory of resources and engineering and development applications.
Information Services
We provide imagery information services, which combine our imagery with third-party data to create a sophisticated and customized information product for our customers. During the second quarter of 2010, we launched our information services business to give our customers global on-demand access to imagery and related information products over the Internet. This new Web-based services platform, which we call EyeQ
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provides the core infrastructure for this new service and our new geospatial information services business. EyeQ commenced operations in April 2010 with support to the U.S. government’s National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, or NGA, customers. In September 2010, EyeQ became available to our commercial customers.
EyeQ delivers imagery and other location-based information through annual subscriptions and user licenses. EyeQ offers a Web interface with tools that function as our customers’ data center. EyeQ serves up imagery and other standards-based content throughout the customers’ data network and out to their customers and partners.
With EyeQ, our customers have access to secure, timely and accurate location information delivered into their business environment. EyeQ is user friendly and is available twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week. EyeQ serves our goal of simplifying access to and delivery of imagery and location information.
On December 15, 2010 GeoEye, Inc. completed the acquisition of 100 percent of the stock of SPADAC, Inc., or SPADAC, a geospatial predictive analytics company, for a net purchase price of $44.3 million in cash and stock, which includes an adjustment for changes to the tangible net worth of SPADAC, as defined in the merger agreement. With the completion of the acquisition, SPADAC became a wholly owned subsidiary named GeoEye Analytics. Our highly trained geospatial and all source analysts combine location-based information, geographic data, human geography, and a wide range of other information sources with proprietary software tools to enable customers to gain the insight they need to support mission-critical operations around the world. GeoEye Analytics provides geospatial predictive analytic solutions to over 40 customers in key markets of defense, intelligence and homeland security.
Customers
Our products and services are sold and provided to many U.S. government agencies, including the national security community, foreign governments and North American and international commercial customers.
We sell our imagery by means of image collection orders, both satellite and aerial, and from our satellite imagery library, which currently comprises over 507 million square kilometers of high-resolution imagery. Our imagery products and services are sold through direct and indirect sales channels, resellers, direct salespeople, strategic partners and through our customer service and production services personnel. Our imagery customers can buy imagery from us through various sales arrangements, including purchasing imagery by the square kilometer, or by buying monthly subscription-based access to one of our satellites and associated ground processing technology and support services. Certain international government customers pay for direct access to our satellites, giving them the right to task the satellites and to receive direct downlinks from the satellite. We can deliver imagery products by means of electronic delivery using file transfer protocol, or FTP, or by the use of physical media such as CDs, DVDs, hard drives or electronic distribution. The key factors in determining the appropriate delivery method depend on the customer’s needs and the file size of the imagery product ordered.
U.S. Government
Our products and services are provided to various U.S. government, defense, intelligence and law enforcement agencies and civil agency customers. Under the NextView program and the EnhancedView program, the NGA acquires imagery and imagery derived products on behalf of its clients in the U.S. defense, intelligence and law enforcement agencies. Other U.S. government agencies that purchase satellite imagery include the U.S. Department of Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. For the year ended December 31, 2010, we recognized aggregate revenues of $218.6 million from the U.S. government, which represented approximately 66 percent of our total revenues.
International
Our international customers, who represented 26 percent of our total revenues for the year ended December 31, 2010, are primarily comprised of foreign governments but also include commercial customers. Most foreign countries currently do not have satellite collection programs as technically sophisticated as the programs in the United States and must either rely on their own limited aerial imagery collection for their imagery applications or purchase imagery from reliable commercial satellite providers, such as GeoEye. Our international customers primarily use imagery for national defense, intelligence programs, agricultural planning and monitoring, resource monitoring, national border monitoring, environmental and infrastructure monitoring and construction planning.
North American Commercial and Other
Our North American commercial customers, who represented 8 percent of our revenues for the year ended December 31, 2010, purchased both aerial imagery and satellite imagery from us. Our North American commercial customers operate in a variety of different market segments, including online mapping, GIS, precision mapping, infrastructure, oil and gas, environmental monitoring, agriculture, mining, utilities and transportation. We sell imagery and products to our resellers and they in turn add additional value to the products for sale to the end user. One example of our commercial relationships is our multi-year agreement with Google, Inc. to provide satellite imagery for its online consumer and commercial applications (Google Earth
TM
and Google Maps
TM
).
Government Programs
EnhancedView Program
On August 6, 2010, the NGA awarded us a contract under its EnhancedView program that is worth up to $3.8 billion, assuming the NGA exercises all of its options and we perform as specified. The award provides for a new satellite imagery delivery SLA; the engineering, construction and launch of GeoEye-2; the design and procurement of associated ground station equipment; and the design and procurement of additional infrastructure to support government operations, value-added products and other services, including Web-based delivery of information. This competitively awarded contract supports the EnhancedView program by providing products and services that will help meet the increasing geospatial intelligence needs of the intelligence community and the U.S. Department of Defense.
The award provides for the purchase of new satellite imagery under the terms of the new SLA with the NGA, which is valued at up to $2.8 billion. The EnhancedView SLA initially provides for continued monthly payments by the NGA of up to $12.5 million ($150.0 million per year), subject to a maximum reduction of 10 percent based on performance metrics. Under the EnhancedView SLA, when GeoEye-2 becomes operational, which we currently expect will occur in 2013, payments under the award will increase by an additional $15.3 million per month ($183.6 million per year). The term of the EnhancedView SLA is one year, with nine one-year renewal options exercisable by the NGA. Imagery deliveries under the EnhancedView SLA began on September 1, 2010, and the imagery is collected by the Company’s existing satellite constellation, with GeoEye-2 to collect additional imagery when it becomes operational.
As part of the EnhancedView agreement, the NGA has agreed to contribute up to $337.0 million of the overall construction and launch costs of the GeoEye-2 satellite and associated ground station equipment. The contribution will be made in two cost-share payments: the first payment of approximately $111.0 million when the GeoEye-2 satellite is ready for integration and testing; and the second payment, and balance of the cost-share, when the GeoEye-2 satellite becomes operational.
The award also provides for up to an estimated $702.0 million for value-added products and services and our EyeQ Web Mapping Services, to be delivered over the life of the EnhancedView SLA. This award component includes funding for the design and procurement of additional infrastructure to support government operations, which will be initially recorded as deferred revenue and recognized as revenue over the contractual term of the EnhancedView contract.
This program replaced the NextView program, except that GeoEye will continue to fulfill existing NextView value-added product and services orders until such orders are complete. New value-added product and services orders are expected to be placed under the EnhancedView contract. The EnhancedView SLA replaced the NextView SLA portion of the NextView program as of September 1, 2010. We recognized $49.0 million of imagery revenue under the EnhancedView SLA during the year ended December 31, 2010.
NextView Program
The NGA announced in March 2003 that it intended to support, through the NextView program, the continued development of the commercial satellite imagery industry. The NGA also announced that it intended to award two imagery providers with contracts to support the engineering, construction and launch of the next generation of imagery satellites. On September 30, 2004, the NGA awarded us a contract as the second provider under the NextView program, and, as a result, we contracted for the construction of a new satellite, GeoEye-1. Under the NextView program, we began delivering imagery to the NGA from our IKONOS satellite in February 2007 and from our GeoEye-1 satellite in the first quarter of 2009. GeoEye-1 was launched in September 2008 and started commercial operations and obtained certification from the NGA in February 2009, at which point the satellite commenced full operations. Total capitalized costs (including financing and launch insurance costs) of the GeoEye-1 satellite and related ground systems incurred were $478.3 million.
On December 9, 2008, we entered into the NextView Service Level Agreement, or SLA, with the NGA under which the NGA agreed to purchase GeoEye-1 imagery from us through November 30, 2009. On September 1, 2009, the NGA extended the SLA through March 31, 2010. In addition, the NGA, on March 1, 2010, modified the SLA, giving the NGA the option to extend the term of the SLA beyond March 31, 2010. The SLA was extended through August 31, 2010.
Our Satellites
GeoEye-1
GeoEye-1 has been designed to collect 0.41-meter (approximately equivalent to 16 inches) resolution black-and-white imagery (known in the industry as panchromatic) and 1.65-meter resolution color imagery (known in the industry as multispectral) of the Earth’s surface, both individually and simultaneously. Although imagery can be collected at this highest resolution for the U.S. government, due to current U.S. licensing restrictions, products for non-government customers must be re-sampled to no better than 0.5 meters before being made available for sale to non-U.S. government customers. For more details on this restriction, see “—Government Regulation — United States” below. In addition to 0.5-meter ground resolution imagery, GeoEye-1 offers geo-location accuracy, which is currently better than five meters. This means that customers can map natural and man-made features to within five meters of their true location on the Earth’s surface without ground control points.
We maintain insurance policies for GeoEye-1 with both full coverage and total-loss-only coverage in compliance with the indentures governing our 9.625 percent Senior Secured Notes due 2015, or the 2015 Notes, and our 8.625 percent Senior Secured Notes due 2016, or the 2016 Notes. As of December 31, 2010, we carried $255.8 million of in-orbit insurance for GeoEye-1, comprised in part by $135.5 million of full coverage to be paid if GeoEye-1’s capabilities become impaired as measured against a set of specifications; of such coverage, $50.0 million expires on September 6, 2011, and $85.5 million expires on December 1. 2011. We also carry $120.3 million of insurance in the event of a total loss of the satellite, which expires December 1, 2011.
In December 2009, we announced that our engineers detected an irregularity in the equipment that GeoEye-1 uses to point the antenna that transmits imagery to receiving stations on the ground. The irregularity limits the range of movement of GeoEye-1’s downlink antenna, which affects GeoEye-1’s ability to image and downlink simultaneously. GeoEye-1 is still able to downlink imagery to GeoEye’s and customer ground stations when not collecting images.
In May 2009, we announced that our engineers detected an aberration with GeoEye-1 affecting the collection of color imagery in a narrow band of pixels within an image. As a result, we modified our collection operations and currently collect, produce and deliver color imagery to customers that is unaffected by the aberration. Subsequently, an adjacent band of pixels experienced the same aberration. GeoEye-1 imagery collection, production and delivery to customers is unaffected by this second occurrence because of the previous operational modifications implemented by the Company, and the pixel bands affected by the aberration continue to collect panchromatic images normally. We have designed modifications that we believe significantly reduce or eliminate the effects to the Company of these types of failures; however, any failure of our cameras on any of our satellites or other loss of satellite capacity or functionality could require different satellite operational modifications. These modifications may have a material adverse effect on our imagery collection operations and could materially affect our financial condition and results from operations.
IKONOS
GeoEye acquired this satellite through the acquisition of Space Imaging in 2006. IKONOS provides 0.82-meter resolution black-and-white and 3.2-meter resolution color imagery with a geo-location accuracy of approximately 7.8-meters. IKONOS can collect about 200,000 square kilometers of imagery per day. Like GeoEye-1, IKONOS is designed to downlink imagery to a customer and to accept imaging collection orders directly from customers. In addition, like GeoEye-1, IKONOS has the ability to take simultaneous black-and-white and color imagery, allowing us to deliver “pan sharpened multispectral” imagery. It can also capture stereo images on the same orbital pass. The Company maintains $9.0 million of in-orbit insurance for IKONOS, which expires December 1, 2011, to be paid if the satellite’s capabilities become impaired as measured against a set of specifications. The IKONOS satellite was launched in September 1999.
OrbView-2
We ceased operating OrbView-2, our thirteen-year-old satellite launched in August 1997, in early 2011, an event we have been anticipating for some time. OrbView-2 was the first commercial satellite to image the Earth’s entire surface on a daily basis in color, and it far outlived its expected operational life. For over thirteen years, OrbView-2 collected 1.0 kilometer, low-resolution color imagery, downlinking the imagery to both our primary and backup ground stations and to various regional receiving stations around the world. Over the past eighteen months, OrbView-2 experienced operational aberrations on several occasions related to various components. Discontinuance of OrbView-2 operations has no impact on our expected revenues for 2011; we have been using other available sources of low-resolution imagery in anticipation of this event for quite some time.
GeoEye-2
On August 6, 2010, the NGA awarded us a contract under its EnhancedView program that is worth up to $3.8 billion, assuming the NGA exercises all of its options and we perform as specified. One component of the award is a cost-share of up to $337.0 million for the development and launch of GeoEye-2.
In preparation for meeting the U.S. government’s need, and given the long lead-time associated with providing additional capacity, we entered into a contract with ITT Corporation during the third quarter of 2007, pursuant to which ITT Corporation commenced work on the advanced camera for our GeoEye-2 satellite. ITT Corporation’s work was used to accelerate the development of GeoEye-2 so that it could become operational in 2013. On March 11, 2010, the Company announced the selection of Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company to build the GeoEye-2 satellite and subsequently signed a launch agreement with Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services. As of December 31, 2010, we have incurred total capitalized costs of $309.9 million for EnhancedView, primarily consisting of costs for the development of and construction of GeoEye-2.
Production Facilities
GeoEye operates production facilities that provide advanced image processing products, engineering analysis and related services. We also operate or contract with other facilities that provide satellite control and communications services.
The following table summarizes the primary characteristics of production facilities and satellite control and communications services:
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Satellite Control
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Satellite Communications and Image Receiving
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Image Order
Tasking
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Imagery Processing Center
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Thornton, Colorado
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Dulles, Virginia
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St. Louis, Missouri
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Point Barrow, Alaska
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Fairbanks, Alaska
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Mission, Kansas
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Kiruna, Sweden
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Tromso, Norway
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Troll, Antarctica
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Company History
GeoEye was initially organized as ORBIMAGE Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation, on April 4, 2005, and is the successor registrant of ORBIMAGE Inc. On January 10, 2006, we adopted the brand name GeoEye. On September 28, 2006, the stockholders of the Company voted to formally change the legal name of the Company from ORBIMAGE Holdings, Inc. to GeoEye, Inc.
On January 10, 2006, we completed the acquisition of Space Imaging, or SI, pursuant to the terms of an asset purchase agreement to acquire the operating assets of SI. The final cash purchase price, including acquisition costs, was approximately $51.5 million.
On March 15, 2007, we acquired MJ Harden Associates, Inc., or MJ Harden, through a stock purchase of all of the outstanding stock of MJ Harden’s sole owner, i5, Inc. MJ Harden is a leading provider of digital aerial imagery and geospatial information solutions.
In December 2009, we established a new foreign subsidiary in Singapore to serve our expanding Asia customer base, GeoEye Asia Pte. Ltd.
In January 2010, we changed the names of the Company’s subsidiaries as follows:
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Old Name
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New Name
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ORBIMAGE Inc.
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GeoEye Imagery Collection Systems Inc.
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ORBIMAGE SI Holdco Inc.
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GeoEye Solutions Holdco Inc.
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ORBIMAGE SI Opco Inc.
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GeoEye Solutions Inc.
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ORBIMAGE License Corporation
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GeoEye License Corporation
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On December 15, 2010, we acquired SPADAC, for a net purchase price of $44.3 million in cash and stock, which includes an adjustment for changes to the tangible net worth of SPADAC, as defined in the merger agreement. With the completion of the acquisition, SPADAC became a wholly owned subsidiary named GeoEye Analytics, Inc. GeoEye Analytics provides geospatial predictive analytics solutions to customers in key markets of defense, intelligence and homeland security, enabling customers to gain the insight they need to support mission-critical operations around the world.
Competition
We compete against various public and private companies, systems owned by the U.S. government and foreign state-sponsored entities that provide satellite and aerial imagery products and services to the commercial market. Our major competitor for high-resolution satellite imagery is DigitalGlobe, Inc., or DigitalGlobe, a publicly listed commercial vendor of space imagery. International competitors for high-resolution satellite imagery and imagery products include the National Remote Sensing Agency, Department of Space (government of India), RADARSAT International (Canada), ImageSat International N.V. (Israel), SPOT Image SA (France), Taiwan and Korea.
Employees
As of December 31, 2010, we had 723 employees. Generally, our employees are retained on an at-will basis. We have entered into employment agreements with certain of our key employees. Certain of our employees have non-competition agreements that prohibit them from competing with us for various periods following termination of their employment.
Government Regulation
The satellite remote imaging industry is a highly regulated industry, both domestically and internationally. In the United States, the operation of remote-imaging satellites generally requires licenses from the Department of Commerce, or DoC, and from the Federal Communications Commission, or FCC. Furthermore, remote-sensing satellite and ground-station-control technologies are subject to U.S. export control licensing and regulation under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, or ITAR, administered by the Department of State and the Export Administration Regulations, or EAR, administered by the DoC. In addition, we are party to certain classified U.S. government contracts, the performance of which is subject to U.S. facility and personnel clearance laws and regulations. As is the case with any U.S. business, we are subject to U.S. government Foreign Corrupt Practices Act restrictions regarding conducting business with foreign government officials and U.S. Treasury Department restrictions prohibiting conducting business with certain embargoed countries or with entities or persons on the Specifically Designated Nationals list maintained by the U.S. Treasury Department. Finally, to provide satellite access services and imagery products internationally, our satellites may require International Telecommunication Union, or ITU, notification and registration, and licenses from the governments of foreign countries where our services and products will be distributed.
United States
Department of Commerce Regulation
The DoC, through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, is responsible for granting commercial imaging satellite operating licenses and for coordinating satellite-imaging applications among several governmental agencies to ensure that any license addresses all U.S. national security and foreign policy concerns and complies with all international obligations of the United States. We are required to obtain a DoC license to operate each of our remote sensing satellite systems and provide imagery services to our customers.
We currently have DoC licenses for all of our existing satellite systems. We also hold a DoC license that we intend to use for the GeoEye-2 satellite system that is being developed. We intend to modify this DoC license, subject to DoC approval, to reflect the final technical specifications for the GeoEye-2 satellite under the NGA’s EnhancedView program. The DoC license for GeoEye-2 is a constellation license and authorizes us to operate an additional satellite subject to DoC approval. The DoC licenses for our satellites are valid through the operational lifetime of each satellite. We expect to satisfy the terms of each of the DoC licenses for our satellites and to maintain the regulatory licenses and approvals necessary for their ongoing operations.
Our DoC licenses generally include the following key operating conditions:
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We are required to maintain positive operational control of our satellite systems from a location within the United States at all times;
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We are restricted from disseminating to anyone other than the U.S. government panchromatic imagery with a resolution better than 0.5-meters or multispectral imagery with a resolution better than 2.0-meters within 24 hours of collection;
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The U.S. government reserves the right to exercise “shutter control” — the interruption of service by limiting imagery collection and/or distribution as necessary to meet significant U.S. government national security or foreign policy interests or international obligations. Although the U.S. government has never exercised “shutter control” with respect to our satellite systems, the exercise of this authority would require us to make imagery data available exclusively to the U.S. government by means of approved re-keyable encryption on the downlink. We cannot anticipate whether or under what circumstances the U.S. government would exercise its “shutter control” authority, nor can we reasonably determine what costs and terms would be negotiated between us and the U.S. government in such event;
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We are required to obtain DoC approval before implementing “significant or substantial” agreements with foreign nations, entities or consortiums (foreign persons) to protect the national security and foreign policy interests and international obligations of the U.S. government. Transfers of “significant or substantial” agreements also require DoC approval. Examples of “significant or substantial” agreements include customer agreements for high-resolution imagery collection and distribution, operating agreements and agreements relating to equity investments in the Company of 20 percent or more of the total outstanding shares or that entitle a foreign person to a position on our Board of Directors. Foreign persons entering into “significant or substantial” agreements with us are required to comply with our DoC license imagery collection and distribution restrictions and are subject to the U.S. government’s exercise of “shutter control,” which could adversely affect our ability to collect imagery products for distribution to our foreign customers; and
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We are restricted from disseminating imagery of the state of Israel with a resolution better than 2.0 meters.
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Federal Communications Commission Regulation
The FCC is responsible for licensing commercial satellite and ground systems and the radio frequencies used by commercial satellite systems. In general, the FCC grants licenses to commercial satellite systems that conform to the technical, legal and financial requirements for these systems set forth in FCC regulations. The FCC also regulates the ownership and control of its licensees, and must consent to certain changes in such ownership or control.
Below is a table summarizing the FCC license grant and expiration dates for our current commercially operational satellites and related ground systems:
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GeoEye-1
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IKONOS
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FCC Satellite License Grant Date
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2004
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1999
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Commercially Operational
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Yes
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Yes
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FCC Satellite License Expiration Date
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2018
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2014
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Grant Date of Associated FCC Ground Station Licenses
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2004
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1999
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Expiration Date of Associated FCC Ground Station License(s)
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April 15, 2024, renewable for 15 years subject to FCC approval
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October 3, 2022 and October 17, 2022, renewable for 15 years subject to FCC approval
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We also hold an FCC license to operate the OrbView-3 satellite, which ceased commercial operations in 2007. We r
ecently completed the successful de-orbit of the OrbView-3 satellite and intend to surrender the OrbView-3
FCC and NOAA licenses. Additionally, we hold an FCC license to operate the OrbView-2 satellite, which remains in orbit but which ceased commercial operations in 2011. In the future, we will be required to obtain FCC licenses and approvals in connection with any new high-resolution satellites that we plan to operate. We are currently preparing an application to modify our GeoEye-1 satellite FCC license to add the GeoEye-2 satellite and associated ground stations. We expect to file this application in the near future and expect to obtain the FCC licenses and approvals necessary for GeoEye-2 operations.
Export Controls and Security Clearance Regulation
We are subject to a complex set of export control and security clearance regulations for the products and services we offer.
Among other things, we are a registrant under ITAR, and we hold export licenses and other approvals from the U.S. Department of State’s Directorate of Defense Trade Control, or DDTC, for the export of hardware, software and technical data relating to the potential defense-related satellites, ground stations, image-processing facilities and support services provided to customers. Additional approvals may be required from DDTC and from the DoC’s Bureau of Industry and Security, in certain cases. For example, export licenses may be required if certain foreign persons or entities are involved in the development or acquisition of our products and services. Also, the export of a GeoEye-supplied ground station or image-processing facility to a foreign person would require a DDTC export approval. The suspension or cancellation of our ITAR registration or DDTC approval to export our products and services could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
In addition, we require certain facility and personnel security clearances to perform our classified U.S. government-related business. Security clearances are subject to regulations and requirements. This includes the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual, or NISPOM, which provides baseline standards for the protection of classified information released or disclosed to industry in connection with classified U.S. government contracts. Among other things, the NISPOM restricts non-U.S. (“foreign”) ownership, control, or influence, or FOCI, over a U.S. citizen performing classified work for the U.S. government, such that investments in the Company by non-U.S. entities or individuals could require prior review by the U.S. Department of Defense, and could result in changes in the terms of our facility or personnel clearances. The suspension or cancellation of our facility clearances, or the inability to maintain personnel security clearances for our personnel to perform classified U.S. government contracts, could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Furthermore, any change in our ownership involving a transfer to foreign persons or entities may increase U.S. government scrutiny and lead to more onerous requirements in connection with both export controls and security clearances. A transfer to foreign ownership could also trigger other requirements, including filings with and review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States pursuant to the Exon-Florio Provision and approval by NOAA under our DoC licenses. Depending on the country of origin and identity of foreign owners, other restrictions and requirements could arise.
Future Developments
U.S. regulators may subject us in the future to new laws, policies, regulations or changes in the interpretation or application of existing laws, policies and regulations that modify the present U.S. regulatory environment. In addition, U.S. regulators could decide to impose limitations on U.S. companies that are currently applicable only to other countries, or other regulatory limitations that affect satellite remote imaging operations. Any limitations of this kind could adversely affect our business or our results of operations.
International
All satellite systems providing services in the international markets must comply with the following general international regulations and the specific laws of the countries in which satellite imagery is downlinked or satellite imagery products are distributed.
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International Telecommunication Union, or ITU, Regulations
— ITU regulations define for each service the technical operating parameters, including maximum transmitter power, maximum interference to other services and users and the minimum interference the user must operate under for that service. The FCC, on our behalf, has completed the ITU notification process for our IKONOS, OrbView-3 and OrbView-2 satellite systems. The ITU received GeoEye-1 satellite system notification documents in June 2009, and we expect the ITU to publish its findings recognizing completion of the GeoEye-1 ITU notification within the next twelve months. After completion of the ITU notification process, ongoing coordination with other satellite systems could occur from time to time.
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Foreign Downlink License
— The regulations of some foreign countries require satellite operators to secure appropriate licenses and operational authority to use the required spectrum in each country. Within foreign countries, our foreign customers are responsible for securing appropriate licenses and operational authority to use the required spectrum for downlinking our high-resolution satellite imagery with assistance from us as required.
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Foreign Imagery Acquisition or Distribution Regulations
— The regulations or policies of foreign countries may restrict the acquisition or distribution of satellite imagery products and services. For example, in the Republic of India, we obtained permission from the government to promote satellite imagery product sales to customers in India, provided the actual product deliveries are made through a government-appointed reseller.
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While we believe we will be able to obtain all U.S., ITU and foreign government licenses, authorizations and registrations necessary to provide services internationally, we cannot assure you that we will be successful in doing so. The failure to obtain some or all necessary licenses, approvals or registrations could have a material adverse effect on our business or results of operations.
The risks described below, among others, could cause our actual operating results to
differ materially from those indicated or suggested by forward-looking statements
made in this Form 10-K or presented elsewhere by management from time to
time.
A substantial portion of our revenues are generated from contracts with U.S. government agencies that are subject to annual renewal and Congressional appropriations. Termination of these contracts or a failure by Congress to make appropriations to the NGA could materially reduce our revenue and have a material adverse effect on our business.
Revenues from U.S. government contracts accounted for 66 percent of our total revenues for the year ended December 31, 2010. Our contracts with U.S. government agencies are subject to risks of termination, with or without cause, or reduction in scope due to changes in U.S. government policies, priorities or funding level commitments to various agencies. Our primary contract with the U.S. government, through the NGA, is the EnhancedView SLA, which was awarded and authorized on August 6, 2010. Any inability on our part to meet the performance requirements of the EnhancedView SLA could result in a breach of our contract with the NGA. The EnhancedView SLA is structured as a one-year agreement, with nine one-year renewal options, exercisable at the NGA’s option. A breach of our contract with the NGA resulting in its termination, or a decision by the NGA not to exercise it renewal options under the EnhancedView SLA, or any other U.S. government contract, would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Although our NGA contracts generally involve fixed annual minimum commitments, such commitments are subject to annual Congressional appropriations and, as a result, the NGA may not continue to fund these contracts at current or anticipated levels. If the NGA terminates, significantly reduces in scope or suspends any of its contracts with us, or changes its policies, priorities or funding levels, these actions would have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. We recognized $99.2 million of revenue under the NextView SLA with the NGA and $49.0 million of revenue under the EnhancedView SLA for the year ended December 31, 2010, which accounted for approximately 45 percent of our revenue during the year ended December 31, 2010.
As part of the EnhancedView award, we have entered into a cost-share agreement with the NGA that provides for approximately $337.0 million of funding for the development and launch of GeoEye-2; this amount represents approximately 40 percent of our expected GeoEye-2 development and launch expense. If the cost-share agreement is terminated, it will be difficult for us to obtain a similar level of financing on comparable or acceptable terms, if at all. If such termination is accompanied by a termination or non-renewal of the EnhancedView SLA, we will experience significant difficulty in obtaining financing for the construction and development of GeoEye-2, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
A delay in the passage of the U.S. government’s budget could affect U.S. government procurement of our services and have an adverse effect on our future sales. When the U.S. government does not complete its budget process before the end of its fiscal year, government operations are typically funded pursuant to a continuing resolution that authorizes agencies of the U.S. government to continue to operate, but does not authorize new spending initiatives. When the U.S. government operates under a continuing resolution, government agencies may delay or cancel funding we expect to receive from customers on work we are already performing. Additionally, when operating under a continuing resolution, U.S. government agencies may delay or cancel new initiatives and programs, which could materially adversely affect our business and financial condition and results from operations.
Changes in U.S. government policy regarding the use of commercial imagery products
and service providers, or material delay or cancellation of the U.S.
government EnhancedView program may have a material adverse effect on our revenue and
our ability to fund operations and achieve our growth objectives.
Current U.S. government policy encourages the use of commercial imagery products and services to support U.S. national security objectives. We are considered by the U.S. government to be a commercial imagery products and services provider. U.S. government policy is subject to change, and any change in policy away from supporting the use of commercial imagery products and service providers to meet U.S. government imagery needs could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Satellites have limited useful lives and are expensive to replace.
Satellites have limited useful lives. We determine a satellite’s useful life, or its expected operational life, using a complex calculation involving the probabilities of failure of the satellite’s components from design or manufacturing defects, environmental stresses, estimated remaining fuel or other causes.
A number of factors can affect the expected operational lives of our satellites, including the quality of construction, the supply of fuel, the expected gradual environmental degradation of solar panels, the durability of various satellite components and the orbits in which the satellites are placed. Certain advanced components, such as its cameras, are integral to a satellite’s design functionality and expected operational life. The failure of satellite components can cause damage to, or loss of, the use of a satellite before the end of its expected operational life. Electrostatic storms or collisions with other objects could damage our satellites, which could in turn impair their design functionality and expected operational life. Such objects could include debris from exploded satellites and spent rocket stages, dead satellites and meteoroids. We cannot assure you that each satellite will remain in operation for its expected operational life. We expect the performance of any satellite to decline gradually near the end of its expected operational life.
Our GeoEye-1 satellite was launched in September 2008 and has an expected operational life of nine years. IKONOS, another of our satellites, was fully depreciated in June 2008. In December 2010, a study on IKONOS was updated, indicating the life expectancy would go through January 2012. Management currently expects that IKONOS commercial operations could last significantly longer. However, there can be no assurance that IKONOS will continue to operate adequately to remain commercially viable.
Replacing a satellite can be expensive. We are currently building GeoEye-2, which we expect to be operational in 2013. We expect to use up to $337.0 million in federal government cost-share funds, current cash balances, proceeds from the Preferred Stock sold to Cerberus Satellite LLC and funds generated from operations to develop and launch GeoEye-2. If our cost-share agreement with the NGA is terminated by the NGA, or if Congress fails to make appropriations to fund payments by the NGA under this cost-share agreement, we will have to seek additional financing from outside sources, which we may be unable to obtain. If we do not generate sufficient funds from operations and we cannot obtain financing from outside sources, we will not be able to deploy a new satellite to replace GeoEye-1 at the end of its expected operational life. We cannot assure investors that we will be able to generate sufficient funds from operations or be able to raise additional capital on acceptable terms or on a timely basis, if at all, to develop or deploy follow-on high-resolution satellites.
We cannot assure you that our satellites will operate as designed. We may experience
in-orbit satellite failures or degradations in performance that could impair the
commercial performance of our satellites, which could lead to lost revenue, an
increase in our operating expenses, lower operating income or lost backlog.
Our satellites employ advanced technologies and sensors that are subject to severe environmental stresses in space that could affect the satellite’s performance. Hardware component problems in space could lead to degradation in performance or loss of functionality of the satellite, with attendant costs and revenue losses. In addition, human operators may execute improper implementation commands that can negatively impact a satellite’s performance. Unanticipated catastrophic events, such as meteor showers or collisions with space debris, could reduce the performance of or destroy any of our satellites. Even if a satellite is operated properly, minor technical flaws in the satellite’s sensors could significantly degrade their performance, which could materially affect our ability to collect imagery and market our products successfully.
If we suffer a partial or total loss of a deployed satellite, we would need a significant amount of time and would incur substantial expense to repair or replace that satellite. We may experience other problems with our satellites that may reduce their performance. During any period in which a satellite is not fully operational, we may lose most or all of the revenue that otherwise would have been derived from that satellite. In addition, we may not have on hand, or be able to obtain in a timely manner, the necessary funds to cover the cost of any necessary satellite repair or replacement. Our inability to repair or replace a defective satellite, or correct any other technical problem in a timely manner, could result in a significant loss of revenue. Our business model depends on our ability to sell imagery from our high-resolution satellites. We do not presently have plans to construct and launch a replacement satellite for our high-resolution IKONOS satellite if it fails.
In December 2009, we announced that our engineers detected an irregularity in the equipment that GeoEye-1 uses to point the antenna that transmits imagery to receiving stations on the ground. The irregularity limits the range of movement of GeoEye-1’s downlink antenna, which affects GeoEye-1’s ability to image and downlink simultaneously. GeoEye-1 is able to downlink imagery to GeoEye’s and customer ground stations when not collecting images.
In May 2009, we announced that our engineers detected an aberration with GeoEye-1 affecting the collection of color imagery by a narrow band of pixels within an image. As a result, we modified our operations and currently collect, produce and deliver color imagery that is unaffected by the aberration to customers. Subsequently, an adjacent band of pixels experienced the same aberration. GeoEye-1 imagery collection, production and delivery to customers is unaffected by this second occurrence because of the previous operational modifications implemented by the Company, and the pixel bands affected by the aberration continue to collect panchromatic images normally. We have designed modifications that we believe would significantly reduce or eliminate the effects to the Company of these types of failures; however, any failure of our cameras on any of our satellites or other loss of satellite capacity or functionality could require different satellite operational modifications that may have a material adverse effect on our imagery collection operations, and could materially affect our financial condition and results from operations.
New or proposed satellites are subject to construction and launch delays, the
occurrence of which can materially and adversely affect our operations.
We have in the past experienced delays in satellite construction and launch which have adversely affected our operations. Such delays can result from delays in the construction of satellites and the procurement of requisite components and launch vehicles; limited availability of appropriate launch windows; possible delays in obtaining regulatory approvals and launch failures. Failure to meet a satellite’s construction schedule, resulting in a significant delay in the future delivery of a satellite, could also adversely affect our marketing strategy for the satellite. Even after a satellite has been manufactured and is ready for launch, an appropriate launch date may not be available for several months. Further, any significant delay in the commencement of service of any of our satellites would allow customers who pre-purchased or agreed to utilize capacity on the satellite to terminate their contracts, which could affect our plans to replace an in-orbit satellite prior to the end of its service life.
Our information systems and security systems and networks may be subject to intrusion, resulting in possible interruption, delay or suspension of our ability to provide our products and services, which could result in loss of current and future business.
A breach or breaches of our system security could materially adversely affect our business. Our business involves the transmission and storage of large quantities of electronic data, including the imagery comprising our global imagery library. In addition, our business is becoming increasingly Web-based, allowing our customers to access and take delivery of imagery from our digital imagery library over the Internet. From time to time, we have experienced computer viruses and other forms of third-party attacks on our systems that, to date, have not had a material adverse affect on our business.
Despite the implementation and continued upgrading of security measures, our network infrastructure may be vulnerable to computer viruses, unauthorized third-party access or other problems caused by third parties, which could lead to interruptions, delays or suspension of our operations, loss of imagery from our global imagery library and the loss or compromise of technical information or customer information. Inappropriate use of the Internet by third parties, including attempts to gain unauthorized access to information or systems—commonly known as “cracking” or “hacking”—could also potentially jeopardize the overall security of our systems and could deter certain customers from doing business with us. If a breach involves information subject to breach disclosure laws (such as certain personally identifiable information), we may be required to publicly disclose the breach, which may deter customers from dealing with us and/or expose us to material notification expenses. In addition, a security breach that involved classified or other sensitive government information, or certain controlled technical information, could subject us to civil or criminal penalties, and could result in loss of our government contracts, loss of access to classified information, loss of export privileges or debarment as a government contractor.
Because the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access, or to otherwise infect or sabotage information systems, change frequently and often are not recognized until launched against a target, we may be unable to anticipate these new techniques or to implement adequate preventive measures. We may also need to expend significant people and financial resources to protect against security breaches or remedy any breaches that might occur. The risk that these types of events could seriously harm our business is likely to increase as we expand the number of Web-based products and services we offer and increase the number of countries within which we do business.
We operate in a highly competitive and specialized industry. The size and resources
of some of our competitors may allow them to compete more effectively than we can,
which could result in loss of our market share.
Our products and services compete with other satellite and aircraft-based imagery sources and related imagery products and services offered by a wide range and scale of commercial and government providers. Some competitors may have greater financial, personnel and other operating resources than us.
Our major U.S. competitor for high-resolution satellite imagery is DigitalGlobe. DigitalGlobe currently operates three high-resolution satellites: Quickbird, launched in 2001; WorldView-1, launched in September 2007; and WorldView-2, launched in October 2009. We believe that WorldView-1 has the ability to provide commercial customers with 0.5-meter resolution black-and-white imagery. In addition, WorldView-2 has the ability to collect color imagery, which could strengthen DigitalGlobe’s position in the industry. Our satellites have different capabilities from those of DigitalGlobe. In particular, all of our satellites have the ability to produce color imagery, while only two of DigitalGlobe’s satellites can image in color, and GeoEye’s image resolution of .41 meters is believed to be the highest-resolution of any commercial satellite. In addition, GeoEye-1 is the most accurate commercial satellite in the market today. Historically, we have enjoyed a competitive advantage over DigitalGlobe in the international markets because of our long-standing relationships with our international customers, whom we helped with the construction and development of their ground stations over the past ten years. The WorldView-1 and WorldView-2 satellites may now have some of the same capabilities as GeoEye’s high-resolution satellites. The WorldView-1, WorldView-2 and QuickBird satellites have higher resolutions, and WorldView-1 and WorldView-2 have more advanced technologies than our IKONOS satellite.
It is possible that foreign governments could subsidize, fund the development of, construct, launch and operate imagery satellites with comparable or higher resolution and accuracy in the future, which could enable them to sell Earth imagery from their satellites in the commercial market and thereby compete on price with our imagery products.
If competitors develop and launch satellites with comparable or more advanced technologies than ours, or offer services at lower prices than ours, then our business and results of operations could be harmed. If we cannot maintain our margins, our financial position could be negatively affected.
U.S. and foreign governmental agencies may build and operate their own systems, which
could affect the current and potential market share of our products and services and could lead to pricing pressure.
The U.S. government currently relies, and is likely to continue to rely, on government-owned and operated systems for classified satellite-based high-resolution imagery. The U.S. government could reduce its purchases from commercial satellite imagery providers or decrease the number of companies to which it contracts with no corresponding increase in the total amount spent.
The U.S. government and foreign governments also may develop, construct, launch and operate their own imagery satellites, which could reduce their need to rely on commercial suppliers. In addition, such governments could sell Earth imagery from their satellites in the commercial market and thereby compete with our imagery products and services. These governments could also subsidize the development, launch and operation of imagery satellites by our current or future competitors and subsidize the pricing of imagery from their satellites, which could lead to pricing pressure. Pricing pressure could lead to potential market share losses if we choose not to lower our prices to retain our existing customer base. Any reduction in purchases of our products and services by the U.S. government could have a material adverse effect on our business, operations and financial condition.
The success of our products and services will depend on market acceptance, and you
should not rely on historic growth rates as an indicator of future growth.
Our success depends on existing markets accepting our imagery products and information services and our ability to develop new business markets and new services. Our business plan is based on the assumption that we will generate significant future revenues from sales of high-resolution imagery produced by our satellite constellation and from sales of our information services to current and new customers in our existing and new markets. The commercial availability of high-resolution satellite imagery is still a fairly new market. Consequently, it is difficult to predict accurately the ultimate size of the market and the market acceptance of our products and services. Our strategy is to target certain existing and new markets for our satellite imagery and relies on a number of assumptions. The actual market for our products and services could vary from the potential end markets that we have identified causing us to develop smaller end markets and potentially miss other market opportunities.
We cannot accurately predict whether our products and services will achieve significant market acceptance or whether there will be a market for our products and services on terms we find acceptable. Market acceptance of our commercial high-resolution Earth imagery products and new information services depends on a number of factors, including the quality, scope, timeliness, sophistication and price of services and the availability of substitute products and services. Lack of significant market acceptance of our offerings, or other products and services that utilize our products and services, delays in acceptance, failure of certain markets to develop or our need to make significant investments to achieve acceptance by the market would negatively affect our business operations, financial condition and financial results.
We may not continue to grow in line with our historical growth rates. If we are unable to achieve sustainable growth, we may be unable to execute our business strategy, expand our business or fund our liquidity needs. As a result, our prospects, financial condition and business operations could be materially and adversely affected.
Interruption or failure of our infrastructure and image downloading systems could
impair our ability to effectively perform our daily operations, protect and maintain
the Earth imagery content stored in our image archives and provide our products and
services, which could damage our reputation and harm our results of operations.
The availability of our products and services depends on the continuing operation of our infrastructure, information technology and communications systems. Any system downtime, damage to, or failure of our systems could result in interruptions in our service, which could reduce our revenue and profits. Our systems are vulnerable to damage or interruption from floods, fires, power loss, telecommunications failures, computer viruses, computer denial-of-service attacks or other attempts to harm our systems. Our data centers and ground stations can be powered by backup generators. However, if our primary source of power and the backup generators also fail, our daily operations and results of operations would be materially and adversely affected.
In addition, our ground stations and collection systems are vulnerable to damage or interruption from human error, intentional bad acts, earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, fires, war, terrorist attacks, power losses, hardware failures, systems failures, telecommunications failures and similar events. Our satellite imagery is encrypted, downloaded directly to our ground stations and then stored in our image archives for sale to our customers. As a result, our operations are dependent upon our ability to maintain and protect our Earth imagery content and our image archives and to provide our images to our customers, including our foreign distribution network, value-added resellers and EyeQ customers. The impairment of our ability to perform any of these functions could result in lengthy interruptions in our services and/or damage our reputation, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, liquidity and results of operations.
We rely on resellers and a foreign distribution network to market and sell our
products and services in certain markets and to certain customers. If these
distributors and resellers fail to market our products and services successfully, our
business, financial condition and results of operations will be materially adversely
affected.
We rely principally on foreign regional resellers to market and sell our imagery from the GeoEye-1 and IKONOS satellites in various international markets. We are currently expanding our efforts to further develop our current and future operations in international markets. These regional resellers may not have the skill or experience to further develop regional commercial markets for our products and services. If we fail to enter into additional regional distribution agreements, or if our foreign regional resellers fail to market and sell our imagery products and services successfully abroad, these marketing failures could negatively affect our business operations and financial condition.
We rely on resellers to develop, market and sell our products and services to address certain target markets, including certain industries and geographical markets. If our value-added resellers fail to develop, market and sell our products and services successfully, this failure could negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Although we carry insurance on our satellites, there can be no assurance that insurance proceeds would be available to us in the event of operational degradation of any our satellites, or that proceeds that might be available will adequately cover our losses.
We procure insurance covering risks associated with our satellite operations through the commercial insurance markets. The cost and amount of coverage available to us, and the types of loss coverage we are able to obtain at reasonable costs, are affected by factors beyond our control. These include recent loss experience in insurance markets, risk assessments by insurance carriers and their advisors, the carriers’ cost of capital, general economic conditions, and failures of other satellites using components similar to ours or using similar launch vehicles. Insurance premiums for satellite risk of loss coverage have historically been quite volatile, as have the terms of coverage and exclusions for coverage, and there can be no assurance that future premiums we may be required to pay to obtain or maintain our insurance will not exceed our ability to pay those premiums. Higher premiums on insurance policies will increase our costs. Should the future terms of launch and in-orbit insurance policies become less favorable than those currently available, this may result in limits on amounts of coverage that we can obtain or may prevent us from obtaining insurance at all.
Our insurance policies contain various exclusions from coverage based upon commercial realities and the types of coverage available in the market. For example, the anomalies we have experienced in the operation of GeoEye-1 are excluded from our present policies and any costs we have experienced to mitigate such anomalies are not covered by insurance. If we experience other operational anomalies associated with our satellites that could degrade their performance or our ability to collect the amount and/or quality of imagery that we anticipate, we may not have access to proceeds to cover our added costs or loss of revenue.
Our 2016 Notes and 2015 Notes require us to obtain launch and in-orbit insurance for our satellites, which is costly and may be difficult or impossible to obtain. A loss of a high-resolution satellite such as GeoEye-1 will require us to offer to repurchase our 2016 Notes and 2015 Notes, and we may lack sufficient insurance to cover that cost.
The terms of the 2016 Notes and 2015 Notes require us to obtain launch and in-orbit insurance for any future satellites we construct and launch and require us to maintain specified levels of in-orbit operation insurance for GeoEye-1, to the extent that such coverage can be obtained at a premium that is not disproportionately high. With respect to GeoEye-1, we currently carry $255.8 million of in-orbit insurance, consisting of $120.3 million of in-orbit insurance in the event of the total loss of the satellite, expiring December 1, 2011. We also carry $135.5 million of in-orbit full coverage to be paid if the satellite’s capabilities become impaired as measured against a set of specifications, of which $50.0 million expires on September 6, 2011, and $85.5 million expires on December 1, 2011. We believe, that under current market conditions, the premiums for additional coverage would be disproportionately high. This insurance is not sufficient to cover the cost of a replacement high-resolution imagery satellite such as GeoEye-1 or to provide us with sufficient funds to repurchase all of the 2016 Notes and the 2015 Notes then outstanding in the event that, as a result of such a loss, we are required to make a mandatory offer to repurchase the 2016 Notes and the 2015 Notes. We will seek to obtain insurance coverage for GeoEye-2 and all future satellites as required under the 2016 Notes and the 2015 Notes. However, any failure to obtain required insurance could cause a default under the 2016 Notes and the 2015 Notes.
The global financial crisis may affect our business operations, financial condition and financial results
in ways that we currently cannot predict.
The global credit crisis and related turmoil in the global financial system may have an impact on our business, our business operations, financial condition and financial results. In particular: the cost of capital has increased substantially in certain markets, while the availability of funds from the capital markets has diminished significantly in certain markets. Accordingly, our ability to access the capital markets may be restricted or be available only on terms we do not consider favorable. Limited access to the capital markets could adversely affect our ability to take advantage of business opportunities or react to changing economic and business conditions and could adversely affect our strategy.
The current economic situation could affect our customers, causing them to fail to meet obligations to us, which could have a material adverse effect on our revenue, results from operations and cash flows. State and local governments may be more vulnerable to the economic downturn and, accordingly, the operations of our subsidiary, M.J. Harden Associates, Inc. have and could continue to face greater exposure to this state and local government risk. A continued economic downturn coupled with the uncertainty and volatility of the global financial crisis may have a further adverse affect on our business and our consolidated financial condition, results of operations and cash flows that we currently cannot predict or anticipate.
In addition, the current economic downturn has also led to concerns about the stability of financial markets generally and the financial strength of our counterparties. For example, if one or more of our insurance carriers fails, we may not receive the full amount of proceeds due to us in the event of loss or damage to one of our satellites. In addition, if we attempt to obtain future insurance in addition to, or replacement of, our existing coverage, the credit market turmoil could negatively impact our ability to obtain such insurance.
Our business is capital intensive, and we may not be able to raise adequate capital
to finance our business strategies, including any future satellite, or we may be able
to do so only on terms that significantly restrict our ability to operate our
business.
The implementation of our business strategies requires a substantial outlay of capital. As we pursue our business strategies and seek to respond to opportunities and trends in our industry, our actual capital expenditures may differ from our expected capital expenditures, and there can be no assurance that we will be able to satisfy our capital requirements in the future. We currently expect that our ongoing liquidity requirements for sustaining our operations will be satisfied by cash on hand, cash generated from our existing and future operations, proceeds from the Equity Financing and the net proceeds from the Notes offering. However, we cannot provide assurances that our businesses will generate sufficient cash flow from operations in the future or that future borrowings will be available in amounts sufficient to enable us to execute our business strategies.
Lending institutions have suffered and may continue to suffer losses due to their lending policies and their other financial relationships, especially because of the general weak U.S. economy. As a result, changes in the capital markets may impact our ability to obtain new financing or refinance our existing debt on reasonable terms and in adequate amounts, if at all. If we determine we need to obtain additional funds through external financing and are unable to do so, we may be prevented from fully implementing our business strategies. We can provide no assurance that we will be able to raise sufficient capital to continue funding our satellite constellation and expand our other businesses.
Failure to obtain, or the revocation of, regulatory approvals could
result in service interruptions and materially adversely affect our business,
financial position and results of operations.
U.S. Government Approvals.
Operation of our satellites requires licenses from, and is subject to regulation by, the DoC. The failure to obtain these licenses, or the revocation of one or more licenses (for example, as the result of our failure to comply with our licenses or applicable regulations), could adversely affect our ability to conduct our business. DoC regulations and license conditions provide that we must obtain prior DoC consent to certain changes in control over, or the holding of certain interests in, the Company. DoC regulations and license conditions also provide that the U.S. government may interrupt service or otherwise limit our ability to distribute satellite images to certain parties, including certain of our customers, to address national security or foreign policy concerns or because of the international obligations of the U.S. government. Actual or threatened interruptions or limitations on our service could adversely affect our ability to market our products. In addition, the DoC has the right to review and approve our agreements with foreign entities, including contracts with international customers for high-resolution imagery. We have received such approvals for the agreements in place with our existing international customers. However, such reviews could delay or prohibit us from executing new international agreements or renewals or extensions of our existing agreements, which could materially adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. See “Government Regulation – United States – Department of Commerce Regulation.”
We have in the past and may in the future supply certain of our international customers with access to ground stations that enable these customers to downlink data directly from our satellites. Exporting these ground stations and technical information relating to these stations may require us to obtain export licenses from the DoC or the U.S. Department of State. If the DoC or the U.S. Department of State does not issue these export licenses in connection with future exports, or if these licenses are significantly delayed or contain restrictions, or if the DoC or the U.S. Department of State revokes, suspends or denies a request for renewal of existing licenses, then our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected. See “Government Regulation – United States – Export Controls and Security Clearance Regulation.”
We require certain facility and personnel security clearances to perform our classified U.S. government related business. Security clearances are subject to regulations and requirements including the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual, or NISPOM, which provides baseline standards for the protection of classified information released or disclosed to industry in connection with classified U.S. government contracts. Among other things, the NISPOM restricts the ability of non-U.S. (“foreign”) entities or individuals to hold foreign ownership, control, or influence, or FOCI, over a U.S. person performing classified work for the U.S. government, such that investments in the Company by a non-U.S. entity or individual could require prior review by the U.S. Department of Defense. The suspension or cancellation of our facility security clearances, or the inability to maintain personnel security clearances for our personnel to perform classified U.S. government contracts, could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations. See “Government Regulation – United States – Export Controls and Security Clearance Regulation.”
Our operation of satellites and ground stations also requires licenses from, and is subject to regulation by, the FCC. The FCC regulates the launch and operation of our satellites, the use of satellite spectrum and the licensing of our ground station terminals located within the United States. The FCC also regulates the ownership and control of its licensees, and must consent to certain changes in such ownership or control. We currently have all required FCC licenses necessary to operate our business as it is currently conducted. However, these licenses have expiration dates, which are expected to occur while the satellites and ground systems are still in use. In light of the EnhancedView contract award, which includes up to $337.0 million in cost-share funds from the NGA for the development and launch of the GeoEye-2 satellite, we are preparing an application to modify our GeoEye-1 satellite FCC license to add the GeoEye-2 satellite and associated ground stations and expect to file this application in the near future. The FCC generally renews licenses in the ordinary course, but there can be no assurance that our licenses will be renewed at their expiration dates for full terms or without adverse conditions, or that our application to modify our GeoEye-1 satellite FCC license will be granted. Failure to renew or modify these licenses, obtain FCC authorization to launch and operate any new satellites or otherwise maintain our existing licenses (for example, as the result of our failure to comply with our licenses or applicable regulations) could have a material adverse affect on our ability to generate revenue and conduct our business as currently planned. See “Government Regulation – United States – Federal Communications Commission Regulation.”
International Registration and Approvals.
The use of satellite spectrum is subject to the requirements of the
ITU. Additionally, satellite operators must abide by the specific laws of the countries in which downlink services are provided from the satellite to ground station terminals within such countries. Our customers or distributors are responsible for obtaining local regulatory approval from the governments in the countries in which they receive imagery downlinked directly from our satellites to ground stations within such countries. If the necessary approvals are not obtained, we will not be able to distribute real-time imagery in those regions and this inability to offer real-time service in a foreign country could negatively affect our business. In addition, regulatory provisions in countries where we wish to operate may impose unduly burdensome restrictions on our operations. Our business may also be adversely affected if the national authorities where we plan to operate adopt treaties, regulations or legislation unfavorable to foreign companies or limiting the provision of our products and services.
Our international business exposes us to risks relating to increased regulation and
political or economic instability in foreign markets.
For the year ended December 31, 2010, approximately 26 percent of our total revenues were derived from international sales. We intend to continue to pursue international contracts, and we expect to continue to derive substantial revenues from international sales of our products and services. International operations are subject to certain risks, such as:
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Changes in domestic and foreign governmental regulations and licensing requirements;
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Deterioration of relations between the United States and a particular foreign country;
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Increases in tariffs and taxes and other trade barriers;
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Changes in political and economic stability, including fluctuations in the value of foreign currencies, which may make payment in U.S. dollars, as provided for under our existing contracts, more expensive for foreign customers; and
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Difficulties in obtaining or enforcing judgments in foreign jurisdictions.
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These risks are beyond our control and could have a material adverse effect on our business.
Our success depends upon a limited number of key personnel.
Our success depends on attracting, retaining and motivating highly skilled engineering and information technology professionals. A number of our employees are highly skilled engineers and other information technology professionals. In addition, our success depends to a significant extent upon the abilities and efforts of the members of our senior executive management team. Competition for highly skilled individuals is intense, and if we fail to continue to attract, retain and motivate such professionals, our ability to compete in our industry could be adversely affected.
Government audits of our contracts could result in a decrease in our earnings and or have a negative effect on our cash position following an audit adjustment.
Our government contracts are subject to cost audits, which may occur several years after the period to which the audit relates. If an audit identifies significant unallowable costs, we could incur a material charge to our earnings or reduction in our cash position.
Our effective income tax rate may vary.
Various internal and external factors may have favorable or unfavorable effects on our future effective income tax rate. These factors include, but are not limited to, changes in tax laws, regulations and or rates; the results of any tax examinations; changing interpretations of existing tax laws or regulations; changes in estimates of prior years’ items; acquisitions; changes in our corporate structure; and changes in overall levels of income before taxes. All of these factors may result in periodic revisions to our effective income tax rate.
We may pursue acquisitions, investments, strategic alliances and joint ventures, which could affect our results of operations.
We may engage in various transactions, including purchases or sales of assets, acquisitions of businesses, or enter into investments or contractual arrangements, such as strategic alliances or joint ventures. These transactions may be intended to result in the realization of cost savings, the generation of cash, the generation of income or the reduction of risk. We cannot assure you that we will be able to identify suitable acquisition, investment, alliance or joint venture opportunities or that we will be able to consummate any such transactions or relationships on terms and conditions acceptable to us, or that such transactions or relationships will be successful.
In addition, upon consummation of an acquisition, investment, strategic alliance or joint venture, we may face challenges with integration efforts, including the combination and development of product and service offerings, sales and marketing approaches and establishment of combined operations. There can be no assurance that an acquired business will perform as expected; that we will not incur unforeseen obligations or liabilities; that the business will generate sufficient cash flow to support the indebtedness, if incurred, to acquire them or the expenditures needed to develop them; or that the rate of return from such businesses will justify the decision to invest the capital.
Any future acquisitions, investments, strategic alliances or joint ventures may require additional debt or equity financing, which, in the case of debt financing, would increase our leverage and potentially affect our creditworthiness. Any deterioration in our creditworthiness or our future credit ratings associated with an acquisition could adversely affect our ability to borrow by resulting in more restrictive borrowing terms.
We have a substantial amount of indebtedness.
Our substantial indebtedness has important consequences. For example, it:
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limits our ability to borrow additional funds;
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limits our ability to pay dividends;
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limits our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business and our industry;
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increases our vulnerability to general adverse economic and industry conditions;
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limits our ability to make strategic acquisitions;
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requires us to dedicate a substantial portion of our cash flow from operations to payments on indebtedness, reducing the availability of cash flow to fund working capital, capital expenditures and other general corporate activities; and
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places us at a competitive disadvantage compared to competitors that have less debt.
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Interest costs related to our debt are substantial and, as a result, the demands on our cash resources are significant. Our ability to make payments on our debt and to fund operations and planned capital expenditures will depend on our future results of operations and ability to generate cash. Our future results of operations are, to a certain extent, subject to general economic, financial, competitive, legislative, regulatory and other factors that are beyond our control.
The terms of the Indenture will permit us and our subsidiaries to incur substantial additional indebtedness in the future, including secured indebtedness with first-priority liens or pari passu liens, which could further exacerbate the risks described above.
Servicing our indebtedness will require a significant amount of cash. Our ability to generate sufficient cash depends on numerous factors beyond our control, and we may be unable to generate sufficient cash flow to service our debt obligations.
Our ability to make payments on and to refinance our indebtedness will depend on our ability to generate cash in the future. This, to a certain extent, is subject to general economic, political, financial, competitive, legislative, regulatory and other factors that are beyond our control.
For the year ended December 31, 2010, our interest payments totaled $44.9 million. We cannot assure you that our business will generate sufficient cash flow from operations to enable us to pay our indebtedness or to fund our other liquidity needs. If our cash flows are insufficient to allow us to make scheduled payments on our indebtedness, we may need to reduce or delay capital expenditures, sell assets, seek additional capital or restructure or refinance all or a portion of our indebtedness on or before maturity. We cannot assure you that we will be able to refinance any of our indebtedness, or that we will be able to refinance on commercially reasonable terms or that these measures would satisfy our scheduled debt service obligations. If we are unable to generate sufficient cash flow or refinance our debt on favorable terms, it could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, the value of our outstanding debt (including the Notes offered hereby) and our ability to make any required cash payments under our indebtedness.
A lowering or withdrawal of the credit ratings assigned to our debt securities by rating agencies may increase our future borrowing costs and reduce our access to capital.
Our debt currently has a non-investment grade credit rating, and any credit rating assigned could be lowered or withdrawn entirely by a rating agency if, in that rating agency’s judgment, future circumstances relating to the basis of the rating, such as adverse changes, so warrant. Consequently, real or anticipated changes in our credit ratings will generally affect the market value of the Notes. Credit ratings are not recommendations to purchase, hold or sell the Notes. Additionally, credit ratings may not reflect the potential effect of risks relating to the structure or marketing of the Notes. Any downgrade by a rating agency could decrease earnings and may result in higher borrowing costs.
Any future lowering of our ratings likely would make it more difficult or more expensive for us to obtain additional debt financing. If any credit rating initially assigned to the Notes is subsequently lowered or withdrawn for any reason, you may not be able to resell your Notes without a substantial discount.