Minister for Defence Procurement, Jeremy Quin, said:Įxploring and using space is crucial for developing cutting-edge Defence capabilities that will ensure our Armed Forces can operate at the highest level anywhere on the battlefield. This knowledge would assist our Armed Forces to maintain communication and intelligence capabilities on the frontline. Paving the way for similar technology to be used on future satellite deployments, the miniature sensors could expand the ability to collect measurements in space to enhance space weather modelling capabilities.
They will monitor changes within the ionosphere – a layer of the Earth’s atmosphere about 80 to 1,000 km above the surface - where variations in the environment can interfere with the operation of GPS, communications and sensing technology. The miniature sensors have been developed for the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) by University College London, the University of Bath, and Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd, and drawing on expertise from the University of Surrey. The CIRCE mission will see three miniature sensors fixed to two cereal box-sized satellites to collect data on space weather as part of Virgin Orbit’s Launcher One rocket from Spaceport Cornwall in Newquay later this year. One ground-breaking project in the new portfolio is the Coordinated Ionospheric Reconstruction Cubesat Experiment (CIRCE) – a miniaturised space weather suite onboard two satellites – which will be launched later this year in partnership with the US Naval Research Laboratory.
ROCKET LAUNCH TODAY SERIES
New space sensors to be launched from UK later this yearĪ new, ambitious Defence Science & Technology agenda, backed by £2 billion of investment and including an exciting new satellite launch, has been commissioned today.Īimed at driving forward cutting-edge research and developing new Defence capabilities, the Science & Technology Portfolio outlines a series of ambitious programmes, encouraging industry collaboration and input to meet future Defence needs.More than £2 billion of R&D funding allocated between now and 2026.Science & Technology Portfolio launched to support new projects across Defence.
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