The U.K. Ministry of Defence has awarded a $51.95 million contract to Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd to build an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance satellite under the MINERVA technology and innovation program of the U.K. Space Command’s $1.26 billion ISTARI project.
Called Juno, the spacecraft will be the second satellite of a constellation the British defense ministry is developing to enhance capabilities for all-domain military operations and monitoring adversary activities. The satellite can also support natural disaster monitoring, the development of mapping information, environmental monitoring and worldwide climate change impact tracking.
Juno, slated for launch in 2027, will capture daytime images of the Earth’s surface using its advanced imagery sensors. Two more satellites, namely Oberon and Titania, will be built in the future as part of the $164 million MINERVA program, Breaking Defense reported.
Maria Eagle, British minister for defense procurement and industry, said the contract will support the United Kingdom in maintaining its competitive edge in space science and technology as it positions itself as an innovative and attractive space economy.
The latest award to SSTL builds on the company’s work on Tyche, the first satellite of the space-based system launched to low Earth orbit in August on a Space X Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base.
The ISTARI program aims to have the constellation and related ground systems fully operational by 2031.
With the MINERVA research and development satellites, the U.K. Space Command can generate significant data to inform ISTARI’s long-term development effort, including the procurement strategy for future requirements.