UK issues tender for new electro-optical satellite

Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd’s Carbonite+ satellite is one of a network of satellites that will form part of Minerva. Juno is the second confirmed satellite to join the constellation. (SSTL)

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) issued a tender for the design and manufacture of an electro-optical (EO) satellite known as Juno under the Minerva programme.

Announced on 26 April, the GBP40 million (USD50 million) three-and-a-half-year project is seeking a high-resolution EO satellite for space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) purposes that will eventually be integrated into the MoD’s GBP970 million multisatellite constellation ISTARI programme.

Along with providing high-resolution EO imaging, it is envisaged that the satellite will be used as a research and development (R&D) vessel to demonstrate the utility of conducting space domain awareness (SDA) while in orbit. Juno will provide “space-to-space imagery to demonstrate characterisation capabilities against other [resident space objects] RSOs in different orbital regimes”, the announcement said.