1. Oberon SAR Satellites – Airbus
- Contractor: Airbus Defence and Space (UK)
- Scope: Design and build 2 high-resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites for all-weather Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR)
- Value: ~£127 million (total program), multiple contracts like £40 m Juno and Oberon over £120 m totaltele.com+13airbus.com+13theguardian.com+13news.satnews.com
- Timeline: Launch expected 2027; part of ISTARI constellation replacing Tyche gov.uk+4news.satnews.com+4en.wikipedia.org+4
2. Tyche & Juno ISR Satellites – SSTL
- Contractor: Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL)
- Value: ~£40 million for Juno; Tyche initial satellite under £127 m program linkedin.com+15milsatmagazine.com+15gov.uk+15
- Role: Optical ISR, sub-meter imagery, video capability; lead satellites in MINERVA/ISTARI constellation interactive.satellitetoday.com+4en.wikipedia.org+4en.wikipedia.org+4
3. Borealis Space C2 Software – CGI UK
- Contractor: CGI UK
- Scope: Command, Control, and Data Processing for National Space Operations Centre; enhance space domain awareness
- Value: £65 million over five years milsatmagazine.com+11thedefensepost.com+11des.mod.uk+11des.mod.uk+1militaryembedded.com+1
4. Skynet 6A & Skynet Communications Backbone – Airbus/Babcock
- Contractors: Airbus Defence and Space (satellite build), Babcock International (operations)
- Scope: Next-gen military communications satellites and ground network
- Value: £500 million+ for Skynet 6A; £400 million ground service contract airforce-technology.com+3en.wikipedia.org+3airbus.com+3
5. Amazon Kuiper “Translator” Study – Project Kuiper
- Contractor: Amazon (Project Kuiper)
- Scope: Feasibility study for link bridging between military, government, allied, and commercial satellites
- Value: £670,000 totaltele.com+1en.wikipedia.org+1
6. Space-Domain Awareness – Spaceflux + UK Space Command
- Contractor: Spaceflux
- Scope: Global optical sensor network and AI telemetry for tracking GEO satellites, with ground sensor in Cyprus
- Value: Undisclosed; contracts awarded geospatialworld.net
7. National Launch Infrastructure – SaxaVord & RFA
- Contractor: RFA (Germany) & UK SaxaVord spaceport
- Scope: Develop British launch capability for rapid-response ISR satellites
- Value: Government-backed, planning to launch intelligence satellites as early as 2026–27 thedefensepost.com+14thetimes.co.uk+14en.wikipedia.org+14
🔍 Summary Table
| Project | Contractor(s) | Focus Area | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oberon SAR satellites | Airbus | ISR in all conditions | ~£127 m |
| Tyche & Juno ISR microsats | SSTL | Optical ISR and video capability | ~£40 m |
| Borealis C2 software | CGI UK | Ground control & data processing | £65 m |
| Skynet 6A comms network | Airbus + Babcock | Secure military communications | >£500 m + £400 m |
| Amazon Kuiper translator study | Project Kuiper | Satellite interoperability study | £670k |
| Space-domain awareness sensors | Spaceflux | Tracking GEO satellites | Undisclosed |
| SaxaVord rapid-launch capability | RFA + SaxaVord | Sovereign satellite launch system | Govt-backed |
🧭 Strategic Insight
The UK is rapidly scaling autonomy in the space domain with a full-stack approach:
- Orbital expansion: Deploying SAR and optical satellites.
- C2 and analytics: Building AI-powered ground systems.
- Secure comms backbone: Ensuring sovereign messaging via Skynet.
- Resilience: Launch independence via SaxaVord builds flexibility.
This portfolio positions the UK to move from dependency toward truly sovereign and agile military space-autonomy, bridging capability gaps through strategic public-private partnerships.