The launch marks a major step in the company’s self funded Azalea mission, which will see the satellites fly in formation at about 350 miles to monitor and locate radio signals over long distances using ultra wideband sensors. They are joined by an ICEYE synthetic aperture radar satellite that can capture images of the Earth’s surface through cloud, forming a four satellite cluster with multi sensing capability.
BAE Systems said the cluster will process radio frequency and radar data in orbit and provide information directly to decision makers across land, sea and air in near real time. The company plans to trial this combination over the coming months with customers to test uses such as intelligence gathering and disaster relief.
Andrea Thompson said: “Building on decades of experience in defence, security and space innovation, our Azalea mission reflects the critical role space plays in defence and national security, offering a unique vantage point of Earth which enables us to better understand and respond to today’s complex threats. This cutting edge technology is designed to deliver near real time, space based insights directly to users, empowering them to make informed decisions that help protect the UK and its allies. I’m incredibly proud of the team for their work to boost the UK’s space capability.”
Each satellite weighs about 150 kilograms and carries the Azalea Enhanced Software Defined Radio developed and operated by BAE Systems. The company said the equipment uses artificial intelligence to process data onboard and can be reconfigured in orbit to keep the system at the forefront of space technology.
The satellites will orbit the Earth every 90 minutes at a speed of roughly 7.6 kilometres per second. Dr Paul Bate said: “The successful launch of the Azalea constellation will increase the availability of advanced information from space, to help meet the fast growing global demand from civil, national security and defence customers. The new satellites, which will use AI to convert raw data into actionable intelligence, represent a significant and welcome investment by BAE Systems in the UK space industry, which plays a vital role in driving economic growth and keeping us safe.”
