WASHINGTON — With three contracts over the past three months, UK startup Spaceflux is now positioned as a major provider of space monitoring data to Britain’s National Space Operations Centre (NSpOC) jointly run by the Defence Ministry and the UK Space Agency.
“Under the 3 contracts, Spaceflux will be able to deliver persistent surveillance across all orbits — from LEO [low Earth orbit] to GEO [geosynchronous Earth orbit] and beyond — combining routine monitoring of priority UK satellites with on-demand tasking in the event of collisions, fragmentations, or unexpected manoeuvres,” the company announced Nov. 20.
Launched in 2022, Spaceflux operates some 15 electro-optical telescopes equipped with short-wave infrared imaging that provides day and night capability based around the globe, as well as a research laboratory in London. The firm won its first contract from UK Space Command and the UK Space Agency in 2023 to provide space monitoring data and satellite tracking data and to build a ground-based SDA sensor in Cyprus under Project Nyx Alpha. The value of that contract is unspecified.
The UK has a permanent military presence in Cyprus, operating in the British overseas territories of Akrotiri and Dhekelia. Royal Air Force Akrotiri, for example, is used for British operations in the Middle East and for combat jet training.
Data from Spaceflux’s own telescopes is augmented by data from other types of space monitoring sensors via a consortium with partners, according to the company’s announcement. These include: Safran and GMV, providing passive radio-frequency geolocation data; Look Up, data from radar; EOS, laser ranging data; and Optera, data from neuromorphic cameras. The fused data feeds into NSpOC’s BOREALIS command and control (C2) system.
While the company did not divulge details about the three contracts referenced in release, NSpOC granted one award to Spaceflux in November and two in September according to Bidstats, a website monitoring UK government contract announcements. The two September awards totaled £4.5 million ($5.9 million); the November award (focused on LEO data) was for £551 thousand ($722 thousand).
NSpOC in July celebrated its first year of operations. “NSpOC currently provides collision warning services to over 90% of all UK-licensed satellites including 100% of UK satellites in the most congested Low Earth Orbit (LEO),” according to the center’s website.
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Tim Martin in Belfast contributed to this report.