NorthStar 1, ..., 12 (Skylark 1, ..., 12)

Northstar 1 [Northstar]

The Skylark satellites are microsatellites build, owned and operated by Spire Global (SFL) for NorthStar Earth under a data-as-a-service agreement as Space Situational Awareness (SSA) satellites.

The satellites are built based on Spire Global's CubeSat (16U) bus and host an imaging instrument to detect other satellites and debris in orbit. In-situ tracking can monitor objects not observable from the ground, such as 5-cm objects in LEO and 40-cm objects in GEO. This will provide customers with more granular data on the growing orbital debris problem.

The first three satellites were originally to be launched by Virgin Orbit on a LauncherOne. After Virgin Orbit went bankrupt, the satellites were rebooked on a Rocket Lab Electron KS with a fourth satellite added. Two more Electrons launches are also booked to complete the initial 12 satellite constellation.

The first four satellites were successfully launched on 31 January 2024. One of the satellites was lost shortly after and the other three failed to function in accordance with the agreement’s requirements, leading to a lawsuit between NorthStar and Spire.