Kleos was offered a first stage contract by the US’ NRO.  Photo: Kleos Space

Kleos was offered a first stage contract by the US’ NRO.  Photo: Kleos Space

Luxembourg space technology firm Kleos Space has been awarded a contract with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), a US agency which designs, builds, launches and operates reconnaissance satellites for the US.

Kleos was among six companies who signed an agreement with the US agency--other busiinesses included Aurora Insight, HawkEye 360, PredaSAR, Spire Global and Umbra Lab. The Luxembourg company was awarded the first stage contract under the NRO’s Strategic Commercial Enhancements Broad Agency Announcement framework.

Defining itself as a space-powered Radio Frequency Reconnaissance data-as-a-service company, the firm, which has operations in Luxembourg, the UK and the US, locates radio transmissions in key areas of interest around the globe via clusters of four satellites that efficiently uncover data points to expose human activity on land and sea.

Under this agreement, Kleos says it will “provide insights into how to optimize evolving commercial RF geolocation capability to enhance and augment existing capabilities in a persistent, resilient, cost-effective manner that is also easily shareable across the U.S. Government, and with international partners and allies.”

“We are very proud to receive this contract with the NRO, and to start our projected journey to growth with RF Earth Observation data, which imagery companies have been enjoying for many years, » said Kleos chief revenue officer Eric von Eckartsberg. Future steps in the project will focus on tasking, data collection and direct delivery of data to end-users, allowing Kleos to support the US defense in its missions.


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