Kleos Space S.A. (ASX: KSS, Frankfurt: KS1) has been awarded a United States Air Force Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase 1 contract with a focus on "Innovative Defense-Related Dual-Purpose Technologies/Solutions with a Clear Air Force Stakeholder Need."
The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program is a highly competitive program that encourages small businesses to engage in U.S. Federal Research/Research and Development (R/R&D) that has the potential for commercialization. The special U.S. Air Force (USAF) SBIR topics, developed in partnership with the Air Force Research Laboratory, National Security Innovation Network and AFWERX, are experiments to increase the efficiency, effectiveness, and transition rate of the SBIR program.
Artistic rendition of a Kleos Space Scouting Mission smallsat.
Through a competitive awards-based program, SBIR enables small businesses to explore technological potential and provides the incentive to profit from commercialization. Kleos was successful in its presentation of the Kleos' Scouting Mission under AF192-001 and is participating in Phase I of the program. Phase 1 is to be completed by October 23, 2019, with delivery of a report including technical feasibility, financial sustainability and meeting defense needs serving as a gateway to a Phase 2.
The multi-satellite Scouting Mission system 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 AIS (Automatic Identification System) is defeated, imagery is unclear, or targets are out of patrol range.
Kleos' Head of U.S. Strategy, Karyn Hayes-Ryan, said that participation by Kleos in the SBIR program is a welcomed opportunity for the company to provide access to numerous Department of Defense entities.
The first scouting mission is made up of 4x smallsats built by GomSpace in Denmark.
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