Kleos Space awaits Imminent Launch

  • Kleos’ scouting satellites on site in India, awaiting integration & launch
  • Collaborative agreement with first Nation State concluded
  • Key appointment to spearhead expansion in US and Middle East sales operations
  • Brazilian Government Agency engaged – Kleos data to aid environmental challenges
  • Two further data pre-orders received from South American clients
  • Over100 active opportunities across the entire pipeline 

Kleos Scouting Mission satellites will launch aboard the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) PSLV C49 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Chennai, India. This is a rideshare mission, which includes satellites from other organisations, and has been delayed due to issues outside Kleos’ control. 

Kleos shipped the Scouting Mission satellites to the integration and launch site in February. Shipment occurred on schedule, as advised to the market (12 Feb 2020), in preparation for launch activities.

Kleos eagerly awaits announcement of the launch date for PSLV C49 by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).  The launch is currently delayed due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Kleos’ satellites will launch into a 37-degree inclination orbit, covering crucial shipping regions for defence and security customers including the Strait of Hormuz, South China Sea, Australian coast, Southern US coast as well as the East and West African coast. 

Kleos’ independent radio frequency intelligence data is highly attractive to government and security organisations, enabling unprecedented detection of illegal maritime activity, irrespective of whether the vessel is using a broadcast transponder system.

When launched, Kleos’ Scouting Mission satellites will form the foundation of a constellation that delivers a global picture of hidden maritime activity, enhancing the intelligence capability of government and commercial entities when the Automatic Identification System (AIS) is defeated, imagery unclear or targets out of patrol range.    

Collaborative agreement with Nation State

Kleos signed a collaborative agreement with a Nation State (identity protected) to enhance that country’s maritime geospatial intelligence capabilities using Kleos’ Scouting Mission data. The agreement is Kleos’ first Government agreement with a sea-bound nation state experiencing challenges monitoring and policing its coast. 

Key Appointment to expand US and Middle East sales operations 

Kleos appointed Sean McKay as senior business developer for its US and Middle East operations.

Mr McKay is a retired US Air Force Colonel and a graduated Senior Materiel Leader with more than 22 years’ experience in program management for various Departments of Defence, Foreign Military Sales, and Intelligence Community activities in command and control, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, space, cyber, ground integration, operational systems and operational test.

His experience spans several years in resource management, legislative affairs, as well as an extended deployment to Afghanistan in support of the joint service and coalition build-up of the Afghan National Army.

Mr McKay will engage with a large network of defence specialists in the US Air Force and Saudi Arabia.

Brazilian Government Agency Engaged – Kleos Data to Aid Environmental Challenges

Brazilian Government agency Agência Nacional do Petróleo, Gás Natural e Biocombustíveis (ANP –www.anp.gov.br) will evaluate Kleos’ data in a three-month trial. The trial will commence at the time a relevant data set is available, after which Kleos and ANP will negotiate a licence for continuation.

Brazil does not have an active high-performance earth observation system to monitor the ocean, and the ANP believes this has played a major factor in preventing the government from identifying causes of pollution. The organisation believes Kleos’ information from radio frequency activity on board ships navigating in Brazilian waters would be useful in helping the Government’s monitoring system to be more efficient.

South America Business Development Progress

The Company has received further pre-orders from defence contractors in Argentina and Uruguay. These companies have shown enthusiasm to take Kleos data and integrate it into their services that they provide to their respective Government customers. Revenues from pre-orders are dependent on completion of successful data trial periods.

Outlook

The directors consider the Company’s outlook to be positive, notwithstanding the delays to launch resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Company has more than 100 active opportunities across the entire pipeline which provide a solid base to the Company’s outlook following deployment of the Kleos Scouting Mission satellites.

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