French new-space company Unseenlabs has ordered another six 6U-CubeSats from nanosatellite manufacturer and operator GomSpace, to expand its growing fleet. The six new satellites, which will be modelled on an upgraded platform jointly developed with Unseenlabs, will provide “significant reinforcement” of Unseenlabs fleet of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, GomSpace said.
The contract is valued at SEK43 million (US$4 million) and GomSpace said it expects to deliver the satellites to Unseenlabs in the second half of 2023.
GomSpace chief executive officer, Niels Buus, pointed to the company’s new French division, GomSpace France, as evidence of a “long-term commitment to Unseenlabs, French NewSpace ecosystem and France going forward”.
The signing of a new contract with GomSpace is part of Unseenlabs’ efforts to develop a constellation of up to 25 satellites in orbit by 2025, to provide a satellite-based radio-frequency geolocation service for maritime vessels.
A conceptual image of an Unseenlab satellite. Courtesy: Unseenlabs.
