This activity aims at determining the need for a constellation of small satellites with ISR-supporting sensors specifically targeting the North Sea and Arctic regions. It will also address the development of critical technologies. These two use cases meet the ambitions expressed in the LTR and the Defence Agenda for the Netherlands to have access to space data for these two regions for economic, safety and security reasons.

The aim of the project is to define a SmallSAT-based Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) mission, which combines the benefits of multiple sensors with Synthetic Aperture Radar as the core all-weather sensor, Electronic Support Measure (ESM) sensors and state-of-the-art high-speed optical communication and imaging technologies. Such a constellation would provide a broad ISR capability beyond that of current space systems, with unprecedented levels of delivery speed and responsiveness.

Cutting-edge research aims to link ultrafast intersatellite connectivity to a novel approach to synchronization using optical data links, achieving rapid response speed in ISR missions and making significant advances in space-based surveillance and reconnaissance technology.