French space technology company Unseenlabs is preparing to mark a significant milestone in its international expansion with the upcoming launch of its satellite BRO-22 aboard Japan’s H3 rocket. Scheduled for June 10 (09:53–11:52 UTC+9), the launch will take place from the Yoshinobu Launch Complex at the Tanegashima Space Center, operated by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
The mission represents a first in the global space industry: BRO-22 will become the first satellite from a foreign private company to fly aboard the Japanese H3 launcher. The integration of the satellite is being carried out by Japanese space logistics specialist Space BD, reinforcing the growing cooperation between European and Asian commercial space ecosystems.
Strengthening RF-Based Maritime Surveillance Capabilities
BRO-22 is a first-generation (Gen 1) satellite within Unseenlabs’ growing constellation dedicated to radio frequency (RF) detection. Once deployed, it will join a fleet designed to independently detect and analyze RF emissions from vessels at sea, supporting maritime domain awareness on a global scale.
Unlike conventional monitoring systems such as AIS, which rely on voluntary transmission from ships, Unseenlabs’ RF detection technology enables the identification of non-cooperative or non-compliant vessels. This capability is increasingly relevant for addressing maritime blind spots and enhancing ocean security.
Last year, our Chief Editor Camille Rustici interviewed Cannelle Gaucher, Communication Manager at Unseenlabs to know more about how the company can detect ships that don’t want to be found:
“As soon as a vessel emits electromagnetic signals, which it does simply by operating electrical equipment, and today all ships have such equipment, it can be tracked. Even if a vessel tries to hide, we’ll still detect its electromagnetic signature. That means we can track illegal fishing, smuggling routes, and other suspicious activity at sea.”
Addressing Illegal and Unreported Maritime Activities
Data collected by Unseenlabs’ satellites plays a key role in detecting and monitoring a range of maritime threats, including illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, unauthorized ship-to-ship operations and illegal discharges or suspicious activity near critical maritime infrastructure.
By providing persistent RF intelligence, the constellation supports both governmental and commercial stakeholders in improving maritime safety, regulatory enforcement, and environmental protection.
Expanding International Partnerships in the Asia-Pacific Region
This mission follows a previously signed memorandum of understanding between Unseenlabs and Space BD. It also reflects the company’s strategic commitment to the Asia-Pacific region, where it already operates a dedicated office in Singapore.
According to Unseenlabs CEO and co-founder Clément Galic, the collaboration with Japanese partners marks a key step in the company’s growth strategy:
“This collaboration with Space BD and JAXA is important for Unseenlabs. Japan is a strategic partner for France and for Unseenlabs. We are proud to launch BRO-22 aboard the Japanese H3 rocket and to work with Space BD and JAXA on this mission. This launch is another step in the development of our constellation and supports our goal of providing reliable RF data for global maritime surveillance.”
Preparing for the Next Generation of RF Satellites
BRO-22 is part of Unseenlabs’ first-generation satellite architecture, where each spacecraft operates independently using proprietary technology developed in-house. This distributed model enables flexible and scalable RF detection capabilities across orbital assets.
In the coming months, Unseenlabs plans to deploy its next-generation (Gen 2) satellites, which will significantly enhance detection performance and expand use cases beyond maritime surveillance into land and space-based applications.
As commercial space operations become increasingly international and specialized, the BRO-22 mission highlights the growing role of cross-border partnerships in advancing orbital sensing technologies and strengthening global situational awareness.
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