HawkEye 360 Cluster 8 satellites commence operations
July 2, 2024
HawkEye 360 staff are celebrating after its Cluster 8 satellites successfully entered initial operating status.
The satellites were launched into a mid-inclination orbit in April 2024 alongside Cluster 9 and have now begun providing enhanced revisit rates and expanded data coverage over the world’s most populous regions.
The move means the company, which specialises in defence technology for space-based radio frequency (RF) data and analytics, has a total of 29 satellites in orbit tasked with detecting, characterising and geolocating a diverse array of RF signals critical for communication, navigation and security.
The newly operational Cluster 8 features upgraded payloads that enable five times the amount of data collection, broader bandwidths and multi-band signal capture.
HawkEye 360 president Rob Rainhart said: “The entry of Cluster 8 into initial operating status significantly enhances our ability to offer the timeliest, most actionable and broadest commercial RF data and coverage available today.
“The capabilities of this latest cluster allow us to dramatically increase our data collection efficiency and coverage across crucial global areas, reinforcing our mission to deliver unmatched geospatial insights.”
Chief growth officer Alex Fox added: “The successful deployment and operation of Cluster 8 addresses our customers’ needs for more RF data and analytics at the mid-latitudes with new capabilities important to addressing the evolving threat environment.
“With Cluster 9 expected to be fully operational by early August, Cluster 10 launching in July, and Cluster 11 in the Fall, we are rapidly innovating and expanding our constellation to support our valued clients’ insatiable appetite for overhead RF data and analytics.”
