Kleos Space S.A (ASX:KSS), state-of-the-art space technology operator, today announced that the company has formed a new wholly-owned subsidiary incorporated in the United Kingdom for the purpose of delivering maritime ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) data-as-a-service to UK defence and security government departments, agencies and industry.
The UK subsidiary, Kleos Space Ltd, will be able to support the UK’s international surveillance capability with UK defence and economic policy in recent years, addressing the need to utilise locally-based enterprises with appropriate security clearance, innovation focus and technical capability to provide services to entities within the national security framework. There exists strong worldwide support for defence programme financing in the UK where projects also contribute to new scientific or technological advances.
Kleos Space Chairman Air Commodore Peter Round (Ret) said, “the establishment of Kleos Space in the UK will allow us to work closely with government agencies to support the United Kingdom’s Spacebased ISR capabilities to support operations at home and abroad. We aim to assist UK Industry and Government to access commercial data from satellites to provide information as needed. This UK activity builds on our operations in Luxembourg and Australia examining similar opportunities with other allied governments.”
The UK subsidiary will be well placed to continue to leverage the achievements of the prior phases of development with the ultimate aim of commercialising the Kleos Scouting Mission project which remains on track for launch in the second quarter of 2019.
The company launching the Kleos Scouting Mission satellites into space, US orbital launch provider, Rocket Lab, successfully launched its Electron rocket from its launch site in New Zealand two days ago, reaching orbit a second time and deploying more payloads.
Kleos Space CEO, Andy Bowyer, said this first commercial launch reinforced Kleos’ decision to partner with Rocket Lab who has established a dominant position in the fast-growing small launcher market.
We are impressed by the precision with which Rocket Lab carried out its first commercial flight into orbital position this weekend and look forward to further successful missions in 2019.”
The multi-satellite system of the Kleos Scouting Mission (KSM) will form the cornerstone of a 20system constellation that will geolocate VHF transmissions from marine vessels to provide global activity-based intelligence data as a service.
Built by GomSpace, the Kleos Space satellites will be integrated into Rocket Lab’s in-house designed and built Maxwell dispensers and deployed from the Electron kick stage to low Earth orbit. Rocket Lab’s unique kick stage, powered by the 3D printed Curie engine, is designed to circularize small satellite orbits and perform complex manoeuvres, including multiple engine burns, to deploy many satellites into different orbits. This provides unmatched mission flexibility, making it ideal for deploying and replenishing constellations.
