IT support provider CGI UK will provide the Borealis command, control and data processing system to the UK Space Agency under a five-year contract valued at $84 million from the U.K. Ministry of Defence.
The Borealis is expected to increase the space agency’s capability to monitor and protect British space assets from various threats. The system can compile and process data from multiple sources, providing an enhanced understanding of the space domain to support military officials in their decision-making.
CGI will extend its services to the National Space Operations Centre throughout the performance period. The deal is expected to create about 100 skilled jobs in several locations across England, including Leatherhead, Reading and Bristol.
According to Maria Eagle, minister for defense procurement and industry, the award would push the United Kingdom’s efforts to enhance the security of its active fleet of spacecraft.
UK Space Command Commander Maj. Gen. Paul Tedman emphasized the value of working with CGI and the Borealis. “The use of space is crucial for our economy, prosperity, security, and defense, but assured access to space is becoming increasingly contested by adversaries and congested by users and debris. Therefore, it is imperative that we know what is happening in space,” the general said.