Spaceflux (formed in 2022), a UK space domain awareness (SDA) services company, has secured two significant contracts from Britain’s military and civilian space organizations, UK Space Command and the UK Space Agency (UKSA), respectively. The contracts are described as “lucrative” by the corporation. Satellite and space debris tracking is part of SDA.
“[SDA] is vital for the safety and security of in-orbit assets and is becoming increasingly foundational in space operations,” highlighted Spaceflux founder and CEO Dr Marco Rocchetto. “Spaceflux has developed solutions, which guarantee timeliness, reliability, and accuracy of SDA systems.”
Under one of the contracts, the company will supply SDA to both entities by utilizing its network of ten ground-based optical telescopes scattered over five continents. Sites in Australia, Chile, and Hawaii are among them. The company’s unique artificial intelligence-driven analytics tool processes the data from these telescopes. SDA can be delivered from low Earth orbits to geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO) and cislunar (between the Earth and Moon) orbits.
“As our reliance on satellites for everyday activity grows and the UK becomes a hub of small satellite design, manufacturing and launch, we are at the forefront of ensuring a safe and secure space environment,” affirmed UKSA CEO Dr Paul Bate. “But with more than 8 000 operational satellites and more than 30 000 pieces of trackable debris, the ability to operate safely in space is growing increasingly challenging.”
The corporation will also construct, routinely operate, and maintain an SDA telescope at a sovereign British military installation on Cyprus for both agencies under the other contract. This sensor is part of the United Kingdom’s Project Nyx Alpha, which monitors objects in GEO (approximately 36 000 km above the equator). Its primary goal will be to provide information that will aid in the prevention of British satellites (civil and military) colliding with debris or other spacecraft, whether by mistake or on purpose.
“[SDA] underpins our ability to protect and defend UK and allied interests in space,” pointed out UK Space Command head Air Vice-Marshal (AVM) Paul Godfrey. (AVM is equivalent to Major-General in other air forces.) “The UK has critical assets in geostationary orbit, and Project Nyx Alpha will help us to monitor them more closely. It is great to see that UK Space Command and the [UKSA] are working with some of the most innovative UK space companies to develop our nation’s space capabilities.”
During the course of next year, Spaceflux intends to install another of its ground-based optical telescope-based sensors at 15 additional locations. This will considerably enhance coverage and the amount of observations performed each day, improving data accuracy and reliability.