AOs is a groundbreaking satellite program that will strengthen Norway’s maritime monitoring in the Arctic.
Under the agreement, KSAT will build, own and operate a ground segment to operate the two first satellites. This initiative is based on KSAT’s Platform for Nationally Controlled Satellites (PNKS), aimed at fulfilling Norway’s requirements for ground infrastructure supporting sovereign space missions and secure satellite operations.
The goal is to facilitate a common operational concept, enabling faster, more cost-effective, and higher-quality development of satellite ground segments—compared to setting up separate infrastructure for each satellite.
– With this agreement, Norway will establish the world’s first integrated system for satellite operation and control, data reception, processing, and analysis. This will significantly reduce the time it takes before satellite-based information becomes accessible, Rolf Skatteboe, President and CEO of KSAT says.
– The partnership with the Norwegian Space Agency is a key milestone in building a national ground segment that ensures rapid and reliable access to satellite data, he says.
Arctic Ocean Surveillance is part of the Arctic Surveillance Program (ASP), a national collaboration between the Norwegian Coastal Administration, the Norwegian Armed Forces, the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI), and the Norwegian Space Agency.
ASP aims to develop a comprehensive, satellite-based maritime surveillance system and a complete small satellite value chain in Norway. At its core, the program enables national and independent control over Arctic maritime observation - a critical capacity for sovereignty and environmental monitoring in northern waters.
