Sixth and Seventh Spacecraft Set for Launch in April

French company Unseenlabs is preparing to add two more spacecraft to its space-based RF signals-detection constellation.

Satellites BRO-6 and BRO-7 will launch in April, one on a Rocket Lab Electron and the other on board a SpaceX Falcon 9. They will become the sixth and seventh members of a constellation which, the Rennes-based firm says, will eventually number 20 spacecraft.

The company’s offering has been designed to plug a gap in technical surveillance of vessels at sea. Many space-based systems can geolocate vessels equipped with AIS (Automatic Information System) transponders, which are a legal requirement in international waters for ships above a certain size. But AIS data by definition does not include information on the whereabouts of any vessel either not equipped with AIS, or where the operator has decided to switch their AIS off.

Unseenlabs relies not just on AIS but can geolocate vessels based on any emissions it makes in the RF spectrum. The company says it can provide precise geolocation when RF signals are detected by only one of its satellites, whereas other space-based RF-detection systems require signals to be picked up by multiple spacecraft before they can be accurately triangulated.

“Expanding our satellite fleet is an important step to provide a better service for our clients from all around the world, and to give more power and value to our RF technology,” said Clément Galic, the company’s CEO and co-founder. “The newest satellites add essential capabilities to the Unseenlabs constellation, allowing for additional solutions and deeper analyses for our clients.”

“The aim is to achieve an almost permanent maritime surveillance of RF activities worldwide,” adds co-founder and CTO Jonathan Galic. “Our constellation is at the top of the commercial sector regarding RF intelligence. Thanks to these newest satellites, we will offer data and information more frequently to our government and commercial partners.”