British-built military satellite Titania, the size of a washing machine, reaches orbit

Britain has a new pair of eyes in space. Titania, a British-built military satellite about the size of a washing machine, is now in orbit and will help the Armed Forces observe activity on Earth from space, the Ministry of Defence has announced. It is the second satellite in the UK's growing military constellation, following the launch of Tyche in October.

Titania weighs around 100kg, circles the Earth every 90 minutes and travels at 27,000 kilometres an hour. It will be operated by UK Space Command as part of the ISTARI programme, which is building up the country's ability to gather intelligence, carry out surveillance and spot threats from space.

Built in Britain

The satellite was designed and built in Hampshire by a partnership between the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) and BAE Systems, under a £9.5m contract. It will be followed by two more satellites, Juno, built with SSTL, and Oberon, built with Airbus Defence and Space.

Dr Paul Hollinshead, chief executive of Dstl, said the laboratory had been "at the heart of Titania, from the original concept, through Science and Technology investment, technical development, programme delivery, and successful launch".

Andrea Thompson, managing director of BAE Systems Digital Intelligence and Land, said the programme "highlights the strength of the UK's sovereign space capability", adding that the company was proud to be "strengthening specialist skills and supporting highly skilled jobs across the UK".

"The new space age is here"

The Defence Secretary, Wes Streeting, said: "The new space age is here. Space underpins everything from weather forecasts and financial transactions to sat-navs and mobile phone connections, and it is critical for our national security and military operations."

"Titania and Inaros are British-built and British-designed, backed by more than £3 billion of investment in space capabilities. That means highly skilled jobs across the UK, a stronger industrial base, and a more secure United Kingdom."

Sensors that work like an eye

Alongside the launch, the MOD is starting Project Inaros, a trial of an advanced network of ground-based sensors designed to watch over satellites in orbit. Three neuromorphic sensors, developed by the British-Australian company Optera with the National Security Strategic Investment Fund, will be placed at sites in the UK, Australia and at British facilities in Cyprus.

Neuromorphic technology mimics the way living things see, by detecting changes in light rather than recording a full picture many times a second. The MOD says it could become an early warning system for unusual or threatening activity near UK satellites, the ones that guide ships, connect mobile phones and warn of missile attacks.

The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Harv Smyth, said: "The ability to observe the Earth from space is critical to both national resilience and military advantage."

Why it matters

Most people never think about satellites, but daily life depends on them: card payments, mobile networks, maps on our phones and weather forecasts all rely on signals from space. The work is part of £3bn committed in the government's Defence Investment Plan for space capabilities over the next four years.