SSTL is building an Earth Observation satellite for the UK Ministry of Defence. The satellite, JUNO, will be able to capture daytime images of the Earth's surface, strengthening the UK's Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. Expected to launch in 2027, JUNO will have advanced imagery sensors, building on the capabilities of TYCHE, UK Space Command's first satellite which successfully launched in August 2024.
Both satellites form part of the Ministry of Defence's space-based Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance programme, which will deliver a constellation of satellites and supporting ground systems by 2031.
SSTL is building a 2nd and 3rd Mid Wave Infra-Red (MWIR) thermal imaging satellite for Satellite Vu. The cloned satellites are part of a planned constellation of MWIR spacecraft which will have the ability to measure the heat signature of any building anywhere multiple times a day, enabling SatVu to derive new insights in real time about building emissions, energy use and insulation.
The Lunar Pathfinder spacecraft is designed to provide affordable communications services to lunar missions via S-band and UHF links to lunar assets on the surface and in orbit around the Moon, and an X-band link to Earth. Due to launch 2027, the Lunar Pathfinder spacecraft will be a mission enabler for polar and far-side missions, which, without direct line of sight of the Earth, would otherwise have to procure their own communications relay spacecraft. Lunar Pathfinder is a more cost effective alternative to Direct-to-Earth solutions and a credible alternative to institutional deep-space ground stations, offering orbiters and near-side missions a better availability, enhanced safety and improved data-rate.
SSTL is manufacturing a new very high resolution imager that delivers high quality imagery and high area coverage for pan-sharpened colour mapping and surveillance applications. The Precision imager is a compact design that utilises a novel sensor and innovative opto-mechanical techniques to achieve a swath of >9.5km and a GSD in panchromatic channel of 0.6m native. The PAN channel is used to sharpen four 1.2m GSD multi-spectral channels and through post-processing sub 0.5m GSD is achievable. Precision’s detector is a novel CMOS-in-CCD architecture resulting in low power consumption and read noise and time delay and integration capability. Teledyne e2V is providing the state-of-the-art TDI CMOS sensor.
SSTL is building the imager as part of ESA’s InCubed programme.
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