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Kleos Space plans to launch a cluster of satellites that will be used to deliver reconnaissance data.
Space-enabled data-as-a-service company Kleos Space has announced that it signed a contract with Spaceflight Inc to carry and launch a cluster of Kleos satellites on a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch scheduled for mid-2021.
Luxembourg-based Kleos, which has subsidiaries in the UK, US and Australia, aims to guard borders and protect assets by delivering global activity-based intelligence and location services.
The company plans to develop a Kleos Constellation, with the aim of providing critical coverage for monitoring global events and key locations of interests. This will commence with a four-satellite cluster, growing to a maximum of 20 clusters, progressively increasing the delivery of collected data.
The latest announcement marks the second cluster launch planned by the firm. The Kleos ‘Scouting’ mission is expected to launch soon aboard the Indian Space Research Organisation’s PSLV-C49.
Reconnaissance data
Andy Bowyer, CEO of Kleos, said: “Our vision is to deliver a trustworthy, cost-effective, reconnaissance data product with revisit rates that will help disrupt illegal activities, protect borders and save lives.”
The company has named its second cluster the ‘Polar Vigilance’ mission. The cluster of four satellites will be launched into a 500km sun-synchronous orbit to enhance the company’s radio frequency geolocation data delivered by the Scouting mission.
The satellites will be launched next year from the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the support of ride-share launch provider Spaceflight.
Kleos’s business model is to create subscription-based revenues from delivery of essential data to government and commercial entities around the globe. The data collected from the satellites will be processed through the firm’s proprietary algorithms, packaged into data products and transferred to licensed subscribers.
“The launch of the Polar Vigilance mission means we take another step on that journey, collecting more data, over new areas, opening additional markets, whilst also providing a higher value product for our existing customer base,” Bowyer added.
