Kleos Space S.A (ASX:KSS, Frankfurt:KS1, Kleos or Company) has confirmed that the development of the company’s second satellite cluster, the Polar Vigilance Mission (KSF1), is on track for a mid-2021 SpaceX launch, this news coming after the firm successfully completed their Integration Readiness Review and the satellites start the build process with satellite builder ISISPACE.
The four Polar Vigilance smallsats are in the assembly and testing phase in preparation for final acceptance. Kleos’ satellites will then be delivered to the launch site for integration into the SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle.
The KSF1 Polar Vigilance Mission satellites are scheduled for a mid-2021 launch under a rideshare contract with Spaceflight Inc. The KSF1 satellites will launch into a 500 to 600 km SSO, increasing Kleos’ coverage to the north and south of the 37° inclination of the Scouting Mission satellites, which successfully launched in early November of 2020. Kleos’ third satellite cluster, the Polar Patrol Mission, is scheduled to launch in December 2021 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9.
Kleos’ satellites detect and geolocate radio frequency transmissions to provide global activity-based intelligence, improving the detection of ‘dark’ activities such as drug and people smuggling, border challenges, and illegal fishing.
Kleos Space CTO Miles Ashcroft said, “Development of the KSF1 cluster is progressing at an incredible pace with delivery to site planned for the end of May. Kleos is leveraging the experience and enthusiasm of its satellite builder, Netherlands-based ISISPACE, to develop and deliver the satellites quickly as well as improve hardware and software capability. We are growing our constellation rapidly in 2021 with a further cluster scheduled for launch towards the end of the year. Every satellite cluster launched increases the ground covered and the time covered, thus, the value of our radio frequency geolocation data increases, enabling tiered subscription licenses for governments and commercial entities to be offered.”