A new satellite designed to detect ‘dark vessels’ at sea is expected to launch in mid-2025 following the successful completion of its Critical Design Review (CDR).
According to its developers in the U.K., Horizon Technologies, the Amber-2 Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) satellite is designed to detect vessels associated with illegal immigration, illegal fishing activities, drug smuggling, ship-to-ship transfers of goods and sanction evasion.

Its developers explained that Amber satellites detect radio frequency (RF) signals, which enable the identification of satphones and navigation radars. As such, when vessels engaged in illegal activities turn off their Automatic Identification System (AIS) they can still be tracked.

Source: Horizon TechnologiesSource: Horizon Technologies

To enable this, a single tower-mounted variant called AmberPersistent collects RF signals (L/S/X band emitters) up to three million sq/km with real-time 24/7 coverage, thereby making it possible to track vessels carrying out illicit activities.

A spokesperson from the U.K. Space Agency — which has supported the development of the satellite — explained: “The successful progress of the Amber-2 satellite by Horizon Technologies demonstrates the UK’s leadership in advancing space-based solutions for global maritime security. By detecting hard-to-track vessels, Amber-2 will play a pivotal role in safeguarding international waters from illegal activities."

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