Rennes, France – May 4, 2026 – Unseenlabs announces the successful launch of BRO-21, the latest satellite in its constellation dedicated to maritime surveillance, on May 3 at 9:00 a.m. CET. BRO-21 was launched as part of the CAS500-2 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, U.S. The satellite was integrated onto SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket by German launch integrator Exolaunch.
BRO-21 is a GEN 1 satellite that expands Unseenlabs’ radio frequency (RF) detection for maritime surveillance. Like the other satellites in Unseenlabs’ constellation, BRO-21 is based on the company’s monosatellite technology, with every satellite designed to operate independently from one another. It detects RF signals emitted by vessels at sea, further enhancing Unseenlabs’ ability to detect, geolocate, and characterize ships, including those that may not be visible through traditional tracking systems such as AIS.
RF data collected by Unseenlabs’ satellites helps detect and monitor all maritime activity, including undeclared, suspicious, and illegal operations such as:
- IUU fishing (Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing)
- ocean dumping
- operations near critical infrastructure such as subsea cables and offshore platforms
Unseenlabs’ solutions are used by governmentagencies, NGOs, and private-sector stakeholders, including maritime insurers, oil and gas companies and shipowners. Unseenlabs also works with S&P Global and public institutions through programs such as Copernicus with the European Space Agency (ESA).
Over the coming months, Unseenlabs will launch its first GEN 2 satellites, further enhancing the RF signals detection capabilities of its existing constellation. In addition to enhancing maritime domain awareness, they will extend Unseenlabs’ RF capabilities to land-based applications, further expanding the reach of the company’s technology.
photo courtesy Unseenlabs
