Space Flight Laboratory (SFL) Confirms Successful Deployment of HawkEye 360 Microsatellite Clusters 8 and 9

The HawkEye 360 Cluster 8 and 9 satellites were launched yesterday at 7:16 pm EDT 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.

HawkEye 360 selected SFL to develop its satellites due to the importance of attitude control and formation flying by multiple spacecraft for accurate RF signal geolocation. SFL has innovated compact, low-cost formation-flying technology at a maturity and price point that no other small satellite developer can credibly offer.

SFL built the HawkEye 360 Pathfinder satellites on its 15-kg NEMO platform. All subsequent clusters have been developed on the larger 30-kg SFL DEFIANT bus.