The Luxembourg company Kleos Space had already linked up with the American Spaceflight Inc. to launch its second satellite group, KSF1 Polar Vigilance. The new contract concerns the launch of the firm's third group of satellites, the KSF2 Polar Patrol Mission, scheduled for December 2021, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. 

The four satellites will aim to increase coverage in areas of maritime interest by doubling coverage on both poles, says the data-as-a-service (DaaS) provider in a press release. Its satellites “optimise the detection of illegal activities, including drug and human trafficking, illegal fishing and border security issues."

The second group should be launched in mid-2021, as planned, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9. At the same time, commissioning and data collection from the first satellites of the Kleos Exploration Mission, launched from India in November 2020, is nearing completion.

Another important step for the DaaS, which "targets a constellation of up to 20 groups of satellites," says CEO Andy Bowyer. "Each group will increase the volume of data that can be sold and provide additional information on the activity in areas of key interest to our customers," he says, adding: "As we move forward with the deployment of our constellation with the launch of the second and third satellite groups, we continue to focus on securing and building a new subscriber base. The delivery of data from the Exploration Mission allows us to start generating revenue from early testing and adoption contracts."

This article was originally published in French on Paperjam.lu and has been translated and edited for Delano.