# HawkEye 360 constellation
*missions*

## Specifications
- **operator**: hawkeye-360
- **actual launch**: 2018-12-03
- **current status**: operational
- **orbit type**: Low Earth orbit; formation-flying clusters around 500 km, with FCC-authorized operational altitudes from 475 to 615 km for HE360 constellation operations
- **tasking supported**: true
- **current geographic priority**: Global RF signal collection for maritime, spectrum-monitoring, GNSS-interference, communications-mapping, and defense-domain-awareness missions
- **entity type**: mission
- **last verified date**: 2026-06-20
- **verified by**: operator
- **claim status**: unclaimed
- **provider**: hawkeye-360
- **attributes**: {"operator":"hawkeye-360","actual_launch":"2018-12-03","current_status":"operational","orbit_type":"Low Earth orbit; formation-flying clusters around 500 km, with FCC-authorized operational altitudes from 475 to 615 km for HE360 constellation operations","tasking_supported":true,"current_geographic_priority":"Global RF signal collection for maritime, spectrum-monitoring, GNSS-interference, communications-mapping, and defense-domain-awareness missions"}
- **relevance**: in-scope

## Editorial
The HawkEye 360 constellation is an operational commercial RF geolocation system operated by HawkEye 360. The first cluster, known as the Pathfinder, launched on 3 December 2018; by March 2026 fourteen clusters totalling 42 satellites had been deployed, with further clusters under contract.[^he360-cluster14-foc] The Pathfinder model is part of the permanent collection of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.[^eoportal-he360]

Each satellite is built on the Space Flight Laboratory NEMO-15 microsatellite bus, measuring approximately 20x26.7x44 cm and massing around 13.4 kg.[^sfl-cluster6][^eoportal-he360] Satellites fly in three-satellite formation clusters with approximately 125 km along-track spacing, collecting RF signals across a frequency range from 70 MHz to approximately 18 GHz.[^eoportal-he360] Time-of-arrival and frequency-of-arrival multilateration across the formation is used to geolocate RF emitters on the ground and at sea.[^eoportal-he360] Cluster 11, launched in December 2024, features upgraded payloads with expanded bandwidth and multi-band signal capture capability.[^eoportal-he360]

Most clusters fly in Sun-synchronous orbits between 485 and 598 km altitude, within FCC-authorised limits of 475 to 615 km; Clusters 8 and 11 fly at 45-degree inclination to broaden temporal revisit diversity.[^fcc-he360-order][^eoportal-he360] Launch vehicles have included SpaceX Falcon 9 Transporter and Bandwagon rideshare missions and Rocket Lab Electron.[^he360-cluster14-foc][^eoportal-he360]

The constellation is used for maritime domain awareness including vessel tracking via AIS and non-cooperative RF emissions, detection and geolocation of GNSS interference sources, spectrum monitoring, illegal fishing detection, search and rescue beacon location, and defence domain awareness.[^he360-home][^eoportal-he360]

## Compositional position
- HawkEye 360 constellation --[mission_payloads]--> hawkeye-360-rf-geolocation-payload (products)
- HawkEye 360 constellation --[related-topic]--> vessel-tracking (topics)
- HawkEye 360 constellation --[related-topic]--> maritime-domain-awareness (topics)
- HawkEye 360 constellation --[related-topic]--> fishing (topics)

## Sources
- [he360-home] | HawkEye 360 official website | https://www.he360.com/ | tier=operator-marketing | accessed=2026-06-20
- [fcc-he360-order] | FCC order DA-24-262A1: HawkEye 360 HE360 constellation license modification | https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-24-262A1.txt | tier=legal-text | accessed=2026-06-20
- [eoportal-he360] | eoPortal: HawkEye 360 mission technical profile | https://www.eoportal.org/satellite-missions/hawkeye-360 | tier=community | accessed=2026-06-20
- [sfl-cluster6] | SFL HawkEye 360 Cluster 6 mission heritage | https://sflmissions.com/hawkeye-360-cluster-6/ | tier=operator-engineering | accessed=2026-06-20
- [he360-cluster14-foc] | HawkEye 360 Successfully Launches Cluster 14 Satellites | https://www.asdnews.com/news/defense/2026/03/30/hawkeye-360-successfully-launches-cluster-14-satellites | tier=operator-press | accessed=2026-06-20 | published=2026-03-30
- [he360-cluster12-foc] | HawkEye 360 Cluster 12 Satellites Reach Full Operational Capability | https://www.satellitetoday.com/government-military/2025/09/17/hawkeye-360-cluster-12-satellites-reach-full-operational-capability/ | tier=operator-press | accessed=2026-06-20 | published=2025-09-17

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Source: https://eo-atlas.org/missions/hawkeye-360
Maintainer: SpectraWorks B.V. (CC-BY 4.0)