HawkEye 360 Clusters 14, 15 & 16

SFL Missions Inc. has been awarded a contract under our Flex Production Program to provide spacecraft bus units in support of three new HawkEye 360 satellite Clusters, totaling nine spacecraft, which will expand HawkEye 360’s RF detection and geolocation constellation. The contract includes Cluster 14, which is similar to those recently launched by HawkEye 360, and Clusters 15 and 16, which SFL Missions is modifying to incorporate advanced capabilities.

SFL Missions is supplying upgraded bus-level components that support HawkEye 360’s payload and enable new capabilities such as concurrent in-theater data collection and downlinking. This means the HawkEye 360 satellites will download the acquired RF signal data in real time to a ground station. To accomplish this, SFL Missions is upgrading the antenna and radio systems on each spacecraft to selectively steer the beam towards the target ground station.

Based in Herndon, Va., HawkEye 360 is the global leader in signals intelligence and the first to use formation-flying microsatellites for maritime and terrestrial RF signal detection. This data is analyzed for many sectors, including maritime situational awareness, emergency response, national security, and spectrum mapping. Common defense applications include Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT) and Electronic Intelligence (ELINT).

Attitude control and formation flying by multiple spacecraft in orbit are a necessity for accurate RF signal geolocation, a primary consideration in HawkEye 360’s selection of spacecraft developer. SFL Missions utilizes trusted high-performance attitude control and formation-flying technologies at a maturity and price point unmatched in the microspace industry today while also being able to design and implement innovative new small satellite capabilities.