British-built military satellite Titania has successfully launched and reached orbit, giving the UK Armed Forces improved ability to observe military activity on Earth from space.
The launch took place last month. Titania is the second satellite in the UK’s growing military constellation, following Tyche, which launched successfully in October. UK Space Command will operate Titania as part of the ISTARI programme.
The satellite weighs around 100kg, about the size of a washing machine. It orbits Earth every 90 minutes at 27,000 kilometres per hour.
The Ministry of Defence is also starting Project Inaros, a trial of three ground-based neuromorphic sensors designed to monitor movements in space. The sensors will be located in the UK, Australia and British facilities on the island of Cyprus.
The sensors, developed by British-Australian company Optera in partnership with the National Security Strategic Investment Fund, detect changes in light. The technology could be developed into an early-warning system for unusual or threatening activity near UK satellites.
Titania and Inaros are part of more than £3 billion in defence investment in space capabilities over the next four years. Titania was designed and built in Hampshire by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory and BAE Systems under a £9.5 million contract.
