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Carbonite / MINERVA / Tyche / ISTARI

Tyche is the UK military's first dedicated Earth-imaging satellite, which is a member of the Carbonite-class of satellites. The satellite is the size of a washing machine and has enough resolution to identify troop positions and vehicles on battlefields. As the conflict in Ukraine has shown, the use of space is crucial to military operations. Tyche was the first satellite to be launched under the Ministry of Defence’s space-based Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) programme, which would deliver a constellation of satellites and supporting ground systems by 2031.

Tyche was UK Space Command’s first satellite which can capture daytime images and videos of the Earth’s surface. These satellites would 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.  It was the first satellite to be launched under Space Command’s £127 million (US$164 million) MINERVA programme, the precursor to an operational constellation under Programme ISTARI, which it was hoped would be up and running by 2031.

Tyche was launched 18 August 2024 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 would provide timely space-based imagery in support of the UK Armed Forces. Designed and built in the UK through a £22 million contract awarded by Defence Equipment & Support to Surrey Satellites Technology Limited (SSTL), Tyche was the first satellite to be fully owned by the Ministry of Defence. SSTL received the first signals from Tyche a few hours after lift-off, confirming the successful launch. The design and build of the 150-kilogramme satellite has supported around 100 high-skilled roles at SSTL since 2022.

Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry, Maria Eagle said: “Tyche will provide essential intelligence for military operations as well as supporting wider tasks across government. “Tyche also shows the UK’s commitment to support innovation in science and technology, stimulating growth across the sector and supporting highly skilled jobs in the UK.”

UK Space Commander, Major General Paul Tedman said: This is a fabulous day for UK space. The successful launch of Tyche has shown that UK Space Command, and its essential partners across defence and industry, can rapidly take a concept through to the delivery of a satellite capability on orbit. Tyche represents the first of a future constellation of Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance satellites that we’ll launch over the coming years. I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate everybody involved with Tyche and thank them for their support.”

Paul Russell, DE&S Space Team Leader, said: "Working closely with UK Space Command, Dstl and industry to understand how to deliver in a new, complex and critical environment has been an exciting journey. To see Tyche - the first of a new generation of UK military capabilities - delivered into orbit is an incredibly proud moment and a tribute to everyone’s commitment to this key project.”

In Greek mythology, Tyche was the goddess of chance, fortune, and prosperity, and the protector of success, happiness, and good fortune. She was often depicted standing on a wheel, blindfolded, and holding a horn of plenty, with the blindfold symbolizing her impartiality. Tyche was the Greek equivalent of the Roman goddess Fortuna, and was mentioned in ancient literature and plays, but was not featured in any particular myth.

Carbonite-1 was a technology demonstration microsatellite mission of SSTL , designed to demonstrate rapid-build techniques and to test COTS components and new avionics in orbit. In 2014, based on earlier studies, SSTL decided to build a prototype, very low cost, high resolution satellite as an in-house technology demonstrator mission. This would become the leading satellite in a new class of in-orbit demonstrator missions aimed at trialing new advanced concepts for use in future missions. The Carbonite series of spacecraft provide high utility by reducing the cost of entry for new and existing business models which includes the deployment of super-constellations. The addition of video capability from a large constellation can lead to new use cases which include persistent monitoring of regional hot spots for change detection.

The Chief of the Air Staff today announced the RAF’s role in the launch and operation of a demonstrator satellite. Now in orbit, the Carbonite-2 offers sovereign, full-motion colour video from space for the RAF for the first time. The Chief of the Air Staff announced 1 March 2018 the RAF’s role in the launch and operation of a demonstrator satellite. Now in orbit, the Carbonite-2 offers sovereign, full-motion colour video from space for the RAF for the first time.

The RAF has been working with the MOD’s Chief Scientific Advisor, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory and UK industry on the program to deliver high-quality imagery and 3D video footage from space. The first satellite of its kind, the Carbonite-2 has completed its initial checks and was now supplying detailed imagery and footage. The ambitious program could eventually see high-tech satellites beaming video directly into the cockpit of fighter jets, improving the situational awareness of UK pilots by giving them the very best imagery and information anywhere on Earth in real-time.

Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier made the announcement at Surrey Satellite Technology Limited in Guildford, the company behind the technology, to mark the successful launch and operation of the satellite. Speaking at the launch event, Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier said: "It’s entirely fitting that we have launched this highly capable satellite in the centenary year of the Royal Air Force. We have always been at the leading edge of technology, constantly innovating and expanding our horizons. This satellite will not only expand further the RAF’s growing Air and Space capabilities, it will I hope also be an inspiration to those young people looking towards technology as a way to realise their potential."

Welcoming the news, Defence Minister Guto Bebb said: "The success of this satellite shows we are looking far beyond the skies when it comes to defending our country. We live in an increasingly dangerous world and satellite technology like this give our Armed Forces the extra advantage of quick video surveillance to keep us safe from a range of future threats, whether that’s an airborne terror attack or a troop of tanks closing in on a foreign border. Investing millions into Britain’s most innovative companies is helping us propel the UK forward in the space domain."

The Carbonite-2 would play a crucial role in the MOD’s understanding the potential for and shaping the RAF’s vision of an international constellation for the future. This could unlock new opportunities using a range of sensors and ground stations, which has the potential to support emerging crises and combat intensifying threats, giving the UK the opportunity to lead in the area with several close allies having already shown interest in the concept.

The MOD invested £4.5m into the program with Surrey Satellite Technology, and just eight months later, the satellite was successfully launched from Sriharikhota in India. The 100kg spacecraft, roughly the size of an average household washing machine, carried an off-the-shelf telescope and HD video camera, both of which had been adapted for a space environment and integrated into a custom-built framework. The imaging system was designed to deliver high-resolution images and colour HD video clips with a swath width of 5km.

MOD’s Chief Scientific Advisor, Professor Hugh Durrant-Whyte said: "MOD’s science community is one of the driving forces of the UK’s space revolution; and this is an excellent example of defence science and technology working with industry and the Royal Air Force to deliver affordable and pioneering space technology quickly for our Armed Forces."

The historic moment comes as the RAF celebrated 100 years since its formation, and demonstrates how the service was not only commemorating its history but also celebrating current success and looking forward to inspire future generations. To maximise the benefit of the experience and build expertise the RAF has placed a secondee with SSTL. As set out in the Government’s Industrial Strategy, the UK Space Agency was also working together with industry to capture a 10% share of the global space market.

The UK Space Agency’s Director of Growth, Catherine Mealing-Jones said: "Space has applications across every part of our economy and is a vital part of our national capability. British companies like SSTL are the best in the world at what they do, making them a fitting partner for the RAF."

Future iterations of the Carbonite-1 and -2 video imaging spacecraft are planned to be optimized for batch production to reduce mass and volume further, for implementation of a cost-effective constellation. Furthermore, the video imaging capability was also planned to be included as a separate capability onto the SSTL-300S1 and SSTL-1000S50 high resolution imaging spacecraft. Earth-i's Vivid-i constellation offers a potential first application for the OVERPaSS technology, enabling a wide range of clients in industry and government to benefit from the higher quality imagery, video and analytics, and faster processing and delivery times, that OVERPaSS could enable.