Miles Ashcroft, Kleos’ global chief innovation officer, and Professor Martin Barstow, director of strategic partnerships at Space Park Leicester and Professor of Astrophysics and Space Science

Kleos Space Ltd, the UK subsidiary of Kleos Space SA, is to set up operations at Space Park Leicester, a world-leading hub for innovative research, enterprise and education in space and earth observation. Kleos is a ‘space-powered’ Radio Frequency Reconnaissance Data-as-a-Service (DaaS) and Mission-as-a-Service (MaaS) provider.

The new UK base will provide access to a buoyant technology-centred community and ‘state of the art’ facilities for research and development, as well as manufacturing. The move is part of a long-term strategy for Kleos’ growth and investment to support the UK market.

The company is rapidly building a satellite constellation and currently has 12 satellites in space, flown in clusters of four in close formation. The Patrol Mission was launched in April, and a fourth cluster, the Observer Mission, is planned for launch later this year on the Transporter-6 SpaceX mission.

Kleos’ satellites detect and geolocate radio frequency signals to improve the detection of illegal and hidden activity such as piracy, drug and people smuggling, illegal fishing and border challenges. Its independent geolocation data complements existing datasets and enhances the intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities of governments and commercial entities.

Kleos’ global chief innovation officer Miles Ashcroft said: “The Space Park offers a fantastic work environment for us, and with its plans for the future and potential opportunities for collaboration, it is great a fit for our strategy to grow to meet the demands of our customers.”

Space Park Leicester is a project led by the University of Leicester in partnership with Leicester City Council and the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership. It houses capabilities and companies covering an end-to-end capability, from satellite design and engineering, through to downstream data and its applications.