CubeSat-based SIGINT payload constellation detecting and geolocating maritime RF emissions to identify dark vessels — 24 satellites planned, ~2.6% Earth coverage per satellite.
Amber Maritime SIGINT Constellation
CubeSat-based SIGINT payload constellation detecting and geolocating maritime RF emissions to identify dark vessels — 24 satellites planned, ~2.6% Earth coverage per satellite.
Description
Amber is Horizon Technologies' space-based maritime domain awareness product, developed under the UK Government's IOD-3 Programme and sponsored by the UK Space Agency (Amber-2 Phoenix mission). Unlike passive RF mapping, Amber produces true signals intelligence, collecting 24/7 without tasking and providing coverage of roughly 2.6% of Earth's surface per satellite. It supports creation of a commercial dark-vessel database, illegal-fishing and piracy detection, and refugee-rescue use cases by correlating satellite-phone, Iridium, and radar detections with AIS data.
Specifications
| Coverage per satellite | ~2.6% of Earth's surface |
|---|---|
| Total coverage | 12 million sq km covered at all times |
| Revisit | 3-12 Looks Per Day (LPD) with one CubeSat |
| Planned constellation size | 24 satellites |
| Program | UK Government IOD-3 Programme, UK Space Agency sponsored |