Page 59 - SAMENA Trends - August 2020
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Kleos to Launch Second Satellite Cluster on SpaceX Falcon 9
Kleos Space, a space-powered Radio of the Polar Vigilance Mission means we then processed through the Company’s
Frequency Reconnaissance data-as-a- take another step on that journey, collecting proprietary algorithms. Once ‘packaged’
service company, announces that as part more data, over new areas opening into data products and transferred to
of the expansion of its constellation a additional markets whilst also providing Kleos’ licensed subscribers ‘as-a-service’,
contract has been signed with rideshare a higher value product for our existing the same data can be sold unlimited times
provider Spaceflight Inc to manifest a customer base.” The Kleos business creating annuity type revenues. Kleos
cluster of Kleos satellites on the SpaceX model is to create subscription-based will ultimately aim to provide refresh
Falcon 9 launch, scheduled for mid- revenues from delivery of essential data rates of near real-time which will require
2021. This will be the second cluster to to government and commercial entities a small constellation of no more than 20
be launched by Kleos, following the first around the globe. Kleos will be the first satellite clusters delivering highly useful
four Kleos’ Scouting Mission satellites company to fly clusters of four satellites operational capability. The timeline for
that are in the Sriharikota Range in India, to accurately detect and locate the usage building up to a constellation will be driven
awaiting launch on PSLV C49 by the Indian of the RF spectrum by legitimate and by customer demand i.e. required revisit
Space Research Organization (ISRO). This illegitimate actors. The data is collected times or geographic areas of interest.
mission will be named Polar Vigilance and downlinked from the satellites
Mission and is a cluster of four satellites,
launching into a 500 km Sun Synchronous
Orbit. The Polar Vigilance Mission will
enhance the company’s RF geolocation
data delivered by the Kleos Scouting
Mission by covering areas North and South
of the Scouting Mission 37-degree inclined
orbit in addition to increasing overall
coverage time in the equatorial region.
Kleos’ objective is to own, launch and
operate up to a maximum of 20 clusters
of satellites creating a constellation that
provides critical coverage for monitoring
global events and key locations of interest.
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 launch
RSCC Launches Two New Satellites
Russian Satellite Communications should begin commercial operation up by a quarter,” said Yuri Prokhorov, RSCC
Company (RSCC) has successfully in January and February 2021. The acting Director General. “It is crucial for
launched two new satellites, Express-80 satellites were manufactured by Russia’s RSCC that these spacecrafts in orbital slots
and Express-103, from the Baikonur JSC ISS Reshetnev, in collaboration centered over the Russian Federation are
cosmodrome. The two craft were put into with its European partner, Thales Alenia already demanded by our customers. This
the target geo-transfer orbit and later will Space. RSCC now operates a fleet of will allow telecom operators to transfer
be placed in the geostationary orbit at 10 geostationary satellites operating in their networks from foreign spacecraft
the 80° and 96.5° East orbital slots. The the C-, Ku-, Ka- and L-bands on an arc and provide domestic subscribers with the
spacecraft are intended to provide fixed from 14° West to 140° East, providing most advanced digital communications
and mobile services; digital TV and radio services to clients in 58 countries on all and broadcasting services, including
broadcasting; high-speed Internet access continents. “With two newly-launched Internet access for maritime and aerial
and data transmission across the Russian satellites, Express-80 and Express-103, customers.”
Federation and abroad. The satellites the throughput of our constellation is now
59 AUGUST 2020