Space

AAC Clyde Space wins £4.6m order from Horizon Technologies

Posted 22 June 2021

AAC Clyde Space (AAC) has won a £4.6 million order for a full turn-key solution from Horizon Space Technologies, including two new satellite launches, operations and data delivery.

Above: Horizon Technologies is a provider of innovative solutions for signals intelligence. The satellites will be manufactured at AAC’s site in Glasgow.
Courtesy Horizon Technologies

The satellites will become part of the Horizon Space Technologies’ Amber constellation dedicated to delivering Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) intelligence data.

The EPIC-6U satellites will be able to locate and track vessels worldwide by geolocating and demodulating RF signals in a system that can be used to fight piracy, illegal trans-shipments, illegal fishing, and refugee smuggling, but can also be used for other purposes such as detecting and tracking a variety of RF emitters. The mission delivers a commercial service and may be extended to include more than 10 additional Amber CubeSats. Horizon Space Technologies’ first customer is the UK National Maritime Information Centre (NMIC) in Portsmouth.

The two satellites in this order are scheduled for launch in the 2nd half of 2022. The order is a follow-on order from the Satellite Applications Catapult IOD programme (IOD-3 AMBER), for which AAC will also deliver a 6U CubeSat to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2021, from where it will be deployed into orbit.

“Amber is a perfect illustration of where new satellite technologies pry up demand for space-based services from existing and new customers. We look forward to taking an active role in reinforcing this strong trend for many years to come,” said AAC Clyde Space CEO Luis Gomes.

“We are looking forward to expanding our current partnership with AAC Clyde Space as we move forward with more launches and advanced versions of our mission payload. They are a key part of the Amber™ team,” said Horizon Technologies CEO John Beckner.