Two of the biggest space companies in the Grand Duchy have come together on a Safety at Sea project to help make the seas safer.
Satellite companies Kleos Space and Spire Global will jointly create a service that will detect sea vessels operating illegally.
The collaboration is expected to be live before the end of 2019 and will use data obtained by Kleos’ satellites to track vessels, whilst Spire will be able to produce images of them using its satellites.
The companies will then be able to share the information with governments, maritime agencies and other bodies who need to detect illegal vessels.
“The collaboration between Kleos and Spire will provide unprecedented detection of dark vessels,” Andy Bowyer, Kleos’ CEO, said. “The Safety at Sea collaboration will provide an effective tool for governments, maritime agencies and other organisations with an interest in keeping the waters safe.”
American company Spire was founded in the US in San Francisco in 2012 and opened a subsidiary in the Grand Duchy in 2017.
Kleos was founded in the Grand Duchy in 2017 and has just announced that by the end of the year it will get a one million euro grant from the Luxembourg government to develop its products.
Luxembourg is home to approximately 50 space companies and research labs. The space sector’s contribution to the nation’s economy is among the highest in Europe.