Tyche satellite procured by DE&S launched into space
A satellite to support UK military operations has been successfully launched into space.
Named Tyche, the satellite was procured through a £22 million contract we awarded to Surrey Satellites Technology Limited (SSTL).
It is UK Space Command’s first satellite which can capture daytime images and videos of Earth’s surface, and will strengthen the UK’s intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities.
Tyche is the first satellite to be launched under the Ministry of Defence’s space-based ISTARI programme, which will deliver a constellation of satellites and supporting ground systems by 2031.
These will not only support military operations, but also contribute to other government tasks, including natural disaster monitoring, the development of mapping information, environmental monitoring and tracking the impact of climate change around the world.
Designed and built in the UK by SSTL, Tyche is the first satellite to be fully owned by the Ministry of Defence.
It was launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, by SpaceX on their re-usable Falcon 9 rocket, as part of the ‘Transporter 11’ mission.
Operating in low Earth orbit over a five-year lifespan, Tyche will provide timely space-based imagery.
