UK to launch first ever satellites from its territory in collaboration with US

The United Kingdom is set to launch its first ever satellites as ‘Prometheus-2’ will take off in Virgin Orbit's first milestone launch from the Western Europe. The two satellites will be launched from Spaceport Cornwall in Newquay this summer and will be the first commercial rocket launch ever in Europe, UK’s Defence Procurement Minister, Jeremy Quin announced on May 10, Tuesday.

As a part of a three-year mission, the two satellites of Britain will operate close to Earth, experimenting and test imaging and interoperability, UK’s Ministry of Defence, UK Space Agency, and Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) said in a joint statement. US, and the UK government military organizations have been working together on the two "Prometheus 2" cubesats satellites, and the collaboration includes NRO, an agency that operates the United States' fleet of spy satellites.

Based in Hampshire, the satellites were designed with Airbus Defence and Space, and has been built by In-Space Missions Ltd. The project is a collaboration between the UK Ministry of Defence and international partners, including the US National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). 

“Space technology is crucial for developing Defence capabilities and the launch of Prometheus-2 represents another important step forward for our homegrown space programme,” said UK’s Defence Procurement Minister, Jeremy Quin. 

“This collaboration with In-Space Missions and Airbus paves the way for the UK to become a more resilient, more robust and more significant global space entity,” he added. 

Cubesats to provide test platform for monitoring radio signals

According to the British government, the two “shoebox-sized satellites” known as ‘Cubesats’ will provide a test platform for monitoring radio signals, including GPS and sophisticated imaging. This will pave a way for the United Kingdom to establish a more collaborative and connected space communication system with its allies. Cubesats will be loaded on the Virgin Orbit’s Launcher One rocket which takes off horizontally from a modified Boeing 747 jet, named Cosmic Girl. It will operate in low Earth Orbit, around 550km above the Earth and 50-100km apart at 17,000mph.

Cubesat 1 -- which includes a hyperspectral imager, a laser detector and a GPS receiver -- will capture multiple slivers of pictures over different wavelengths of light for higher definition images. While the Cubesat 2 --  which includes two optical imaging cameras, a laser range finder, and a GPS receiver --will observe Cubesat 1 to support space situational awareness to enable scientists to understand what else orbits the Earth.

Via this space mission, the UK's Ministry of Defense will be able to “better understand” how the UK and its international partners can work collaboratively in order to draft a more capable and flexible system at a lower cost. The technology on board the satellites will enable the UK's Ministry of Defense to identify new techniques and algorithms for operating satellites and data processing.

Credit: Twitter/@spacegovuk

“We are putting the UK at the forefront of small satellite launch, providing world-leading capability for commercial customers and governments within a global market, opening new opportunities and inspiring the current and next generation of British space scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs,” said Deputy CEO at the UK Space Agency, Ian Annett. She further informed that the satellite which is being prepared for a launch showcases the UK’s strength in designing and building satellites.

“Being able to launch from the UK and across Europe for the first time will boost our satellite industry further, create high skilled jobs across the country and deliver a key ambition of the National Space Strategy,” Annett iterated. 

The recent launch will be a great example of the power of international collaboration – a key tenet of UK’s Defence Space Strategy, meanwhile Director Space at MOD, Air Vice Marshal Harv Smyth said. He continued that the Prometheus 2 satellite will deliver immense value to the UK MOD’s future space programme. “Thanks to our partners in the National Reconnaissance Office, this highly-capable satellite will launch from UK soil this summer.I am hugely proud of what we have achieved together and this is just the beginning,” he said.

The Prometheus-2 mission, with the first ever directly owned Dstl satellites, exemplifies the decades-long collaborative relationship with our international allies, according to Dstl’s Chief Executive, Paul Hollinshead. The satellite will achieve critical R&D outcomes and help increase our pool of qualified space personnel to help grow the UK’s capability to deliver space systems in the future.