In March 2024, HawkEye 360 Cluster 9 was in the SFL cleanroom being readied for launch.
Space Flight Laboratory (SFL) confirmed that six radio frequency geolocation microsatellites developed for HawkEye 360 of Herndon, Va., successfully communicated with ground control. The HawkEye 360 Cluster 8 and 9 satellites were launched on April 7, 2024, from Florida aboard the SpaceX Bandwagon-1 Rideshare.
The two new three-satellite clusters bring to 27 the total number of geolocation microsatellites developed by SFL for HawkEye 360, which integrated Cluster 8 at its own plant in Virginia under SFL’s Flex Production Program. For Cluster 9, which represents the next evolution and includes updated payload and platform features, SFL handled the entire process, including development, integration and testing, at its Toronto facility.
SFL built the HawkEye 360 Pathfinder satellites on its 15-kilogram NEMO platform. All subsequent clusters have been developed on the larger 30-kilogram SFL DEFIANT bus.
The HawkEye 360 constellation detects, characterizes and geolocates RF signals for a variety of communications, navigation and security applications. Clusters 8 and 9 were launched in mid-inclination orbits to increase coverage over the busiest maritime traffic corridors at mid-latitudes, including the Indo-Pacific region, according to HawkEye 360.
