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The United Kingdom’s Space Command has officially launched its latest intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance satellite, Tyche, courtesy of SpaceX from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
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Designed and built in the UK, through a £22 million (AU$42.5 million) contract awarded by Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) to Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL), makes Tyche the first satellite to be fully owned by the Ministry of Defence.
It is designed to provide day-time imagery in support of military and non-military operations, including natural disaster monitoring, the development of mapping information, environmental monitoring and tracking the impact of climate change around the world.
UK Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry Maria Eagle said, “Tyche will provide essential intelligence for military operations as well as supporting wider tasks across government. Tyche also shows the UK’s commitment to support innovation in science and technology, stimulating growth across the sector and supporting highly skilled jobs in the UK.”
SSTL received the first signals from Tyche, which is comparable in size to a washing machine, just a few hours following lift-off, confirming the successful launch.
UK Space Commander Major General Paul Tedman said, “This is a fabulous day for UK space. The successful launch of Tyche has shown that UK Space Command, and its essential partners across defence and industry, can rapidly take a concept through to the delivery of a satellite capability on orbit.”
These comments were echoed by Paul Russell, DE&S Space team leader, who added, “Working closely with UK Space Command, Dstl and industry to understand how to deliver in a new, complex and critical environment has been an exciting journey.
“To see Tyche – the first of a new generation of UK military capabilities – delivered into orbit is an incredibly proud moment and a tribute to everyone’s commitment to this key project,” Russell said.
Operating in low-Earth orbit over a five-year lifespan, Tyche will provide timely space-based imagery in support of the UK Armed Forces. The design and build of the 150-kilogram satellite has supported around 100 high-skilled roles at SSTL since 2022.
Tyche was launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, by SpaceX, on their reusable Falcon 9 rocket, as part of the “Transporter-11” mission.
