Kinéis (Kinéis)

Founded in 2018, Kinéis is a new French space actor, satellite operator and global connectivity provider for the Internet of Things (IoT). Its vision is helping customers to keep link with what matters to them, their guarantee transmission data objects connected, in any point of the globe thanks to constellation of 25 satellites. Kinéis operates for an international market in fields where the stakes are high for people, their activities and their environment. The Toulouse-based company uses a reliable technology thanks to the 40 years heritage of expertise in the data collection since space, adapted for the IoT. In addition to its main shareholders (CLS and CNES), Kinéis raised 100 million euros in 2020 and disposes of label French Tech Next40, promotions 2021, 2022, and French Tech 120, promotion 2023, focused on environmental and societal issues. Kinéis satellite IoT connectivity inherits from the ARGOS system, which started in 1978 as a French American cooperation involving CNES (French Space Agency) and NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), with support from NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration). A secondary payload of around ten satellites will be used to pick up the AIS identification signal from boats in the VHF band. The satellites are nano-satellites of intermediate size, in the 16 U (16 Unit CubeSat) category. They will have a mass of around 25 kg and a size of 0.2 x 0.2 x 0.4 meters. These satellites are based on a compromise between size, price and performance.

Kinéis satellites launch overview

Flight no.	Date launch	Rocket	Launch base	Orbit	Satellites launched	Patch	Mission succes?
1	20/06/2024	Electron	Rocket Lab LC1 (New Zealand)	650 km	Kinéis 1A Kinéis 1B Kinéis 1C Kinéis 1D Kinéis 1E		Success
2	17/09/2024	Electron	Rocket Lab LC1 (New Zealand)	650 km	Kinéis 2A Kinéis 2B Kinéis 2C Kinéis 2D Kinéis 3E		To be launched!

Images: Kinéis