British Space Command launches its first of military satellite constellation dedicated to ISR..

The British Space Command has successfully launched the country's first satellite dedicated to intelligence. Named Tyche, the satellite was built by Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) and was launched on August 16, alongside 115 other satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO), aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 Transporter-11 rocket from the Vandenberg Space Base in California.
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Left: Lift-off aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 launcher from Vandenburg Space Force Base.  Right: Artists’ impression of Tyche in Low Earth Orbit. The satellite is the first Operational Concept Demonstrator (OCD) satellite delivered under Space Command’s £127 million MINERVA programme, the precursor to an operational constellation under Programme ISTARI. (Picture source: SSTL/ Space X )

Tyche will capture images and videos of the Earth's surface during the day, and its images will be used to strengthen the UK's intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. This is the first satellite to be launched under the Space Command's MINERVA program, which has a budget of £127 million ($164 million USD) and serves as a precursor to an operational constellation under the ISTARI program, expected to be operational by 2031.

Tyche is part of SSTL's brand new class of Carbonite satellites. This class is equipped with high-resolution optical payloads, mid-wave infrared, or synthetic aperture radar (SAR). Tyche itself is equipped with a high-resolution optical payload providing sub-1-meter GSD imagery, with inter-satellite link and onboard processing capabilities.

Notably, Tyche is also the first satellite of its kind to be fully owned by the UK Ministry of Defence. Built by SSTL under a £22 million contract, signals from the satellite were received at Space Command just hours after its launch.

While the constellation's primary role is to enhance global military situational awareness, it will also provide disaster monitoring data and track the impact of climate change.

British Space Commander, Major General Paul Tedman, stated: "The successful launch of Tyche has demonstrated that the British Space Command and its key defense and industry partners can rapidly move from concept to delivery of a satellite capability in orbit."

Tyche represents the first in a future ISR satellite constellation that we will launch over the coming years. Tyche and the subsequent satellites in the constellation will have a five-year lifespan from their point of activation.

Image intelligence, a subcomponent of military intelligence in which the Tyche satellites and their counterparts operate, is a major component of military operations preparation. Satellites have the unique advantage of being very secure against disruption and destruction, and they can provide very high-quality images. However, since a satellite orbits the Earth and can only fly over a specific point a limited number of times per day, it must be supplemented with other observation methods, such as drones and reconnaissance teams, which are fully within the UK's capabilities and already in place.