UK Space Weather Monitoring: Enhancing Defense Capabilities
The UK government has announced a significant investment of £5.15 million ($6.9 million) aimed at bolstering its capabilities in space weather monitoring, particularly for national defense applications. This funding will enable the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) to develop a new orbital satellite. This satellite is set to replace the Prometheus-2 and CIRCE surveillance payloads, which were tragically lost during a setback in 2023. Dstl is partnering with British firms Open Cosmos and Astroscale UK for the design, production, and transportation of these advanced satellites into space.
The twin cubesats will operate in a sun-synchronous orbit at a low-Earth altitude, allowing them to collect vital surface data through both local and remote sensing techniques. Dstl will manage this project until its scheduled conclusion in 2028, overseeing everything from the initial design phase through to the satellite’s eventual decommissioning.
The Orpheus Mission
According to the UK Ministry of Defence, the initiative has been named the “Orpheus” mission and will integrate space domain awareness solutions from allied countries. A key component of the mission will include Hyperspectral Imaging technology developed by Dragonfly Aerospace, a South African defense contractor, alongside contributions from Defence Research and Development Canada. This high-tech system is designed to track specific targets by analyzing their spectral signatures.
The mission will also utilize instruments from the US Naval Research Laboratory, including Triple Tiny Ionospheric Photometers, which will measure ultraviolet wavelengths on the Earth’s dark side from various angles. Other valuable instruments include the Wind Ion Neutral Composition Suite, allowing direct observations of ions and neutrals, providing metrics on density, thermal conditions, and wind dynamics.
Innovative Contributions from UK Institutions
British universities and research institutions are also making essential contributions to the Orpheus mission. The University of Bath is set to provide the TOPside Ionosphere Computer Assisted Tomography system, which is aimed at evaluating the total electron content affecting GPS signals. Furthermore, Surrey Satellite Technology will contribute with a Radiation Monitor designed for particle detection and monitoring of space weather phenomena.
Dr. Paul Hollinshead, the Chief Executive of Dstl, emphasized the critical nature of this endeavor by stating, “Changes in space weather can critically affect satellites that support navigation, telecommunications, and data transmission. Therefore, our ongoing investment in space research, in collaboration with international partners, is vital to safeguard the UK’s interests in this domain.”
