A UK project to replace a surveillance satellite has faced a setback due to a failure with Virgin Orbit.

20 Oct, 2023

A UK project to replace a surveillance satellite has faced a setback due to a failure with Virgin Orbit.

TAMPA, Fla. — The United Kingdom has pledged to cover nearly half of the expenses to replace a government-backed cubesat, which British maritime surveillance venture Horizon Technologies lost during Virgin Orbit's final launch attempt before declaring bankruptcy in January.

Horizon Technologies disclosed on October 19th that the UK Space Agency had granted them £1.2 million (equivalent to $1.5 million) to facilitate the launch of a new spy satellite by mid-2024. The replacement satellite is earmarked for scanning radio frequencies (RF) to track ships attempting to evade detection.

Horizon plans to secure the remaining funding, totaling £2.8 million, required for the Amber Phoenix satellite program. This financing will encompass manufacturing, the ground segment, launch, and other associated costs, and it will be sourced from revenues generated by equipping spy planes and drones to monitor satellite phones and radars.

Amber Phoenix is currently under construction by AAC Clyde Space (ACS), according to a separate announcement by the UK Space Agency. A launch provider has yet to be confirmed. Although ACS is publicly listed and headquartered in Sweden, it specializes in building small satellites in Scotland.

John Becker, CEO of Horizon, stated that Amber Phoenix would incorporate undisclosed improvements compared to the lost Amber IOD-3 (In-Orbit Demonstration) satellite, which was also provided by ACS.

The Amber IOD-3 was a 6U cubesat, just like its successor, and was part of a program led by the British government-backed nonprofit Satellite Applications Catapult, with Horizon serving as the prime contractor.

Becker revealed that Horizon invested over £4 million in the technology required for what was originally planned to be its inaugural satellite, supported by a £600,000 grant from the UK government's innovation agency.

Amber IOD-3 was one of nine small satellites lost when Virgin Orbit's Launcher One failed to reach the intended orbit during its inaugural and only launch from British soil. Virgin Orbit subsequently filed for bankruptcy three months later.

Initially, Horizon had intended to launch Amber IOD-3 aboard a SpaceX Cargo Dragon mission in 2021 for deployment from the International Space Station. However, due to pandemic-related production delays, this launch opportunity was missed, prompting the satellite's relocation to Virgin Orbit, partly to support its first UK launch.

Amber IOD-3 was initially slated to launch with Virgin Orbit in July 2022 but experienced delays while the launcher sought approval for operations in the United Kingdom.

Without the grant from the UK Space Agency to partly fund the replacement satellite, Becker stated that Horizon would have had to abandon its plans for expanding its space-based business.

In 2021, Horizon placed orders for two additional Amber surveillance satellites from ACS, initially intended for launch in 2022 but hampered by production delays. Becker confirmed that only preliminary work has been completed on these cubesats. A deployment date for these satellites will be announced once a launch provider is confirmed for Amber Phoenix.

Horizon envisions a constellation of over 20 Amber payloads in low Earth orbit, capable of providing real-time RF data with a 30-minute latency, which can be employed by the UK Royal Navy's Joint Maritime Security Centre (JMSC) to combat piracy, smuggling, and other illicit activities.

Horizon aims to offer its space-based detection services to other governments and commercial clients. The constellation will also incorporate RF-tracking payloads integrated into partner Earth observation and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) constellations. These sensors can be tasked with collecting additional data on areas identified by the RF payload as of interest.

Becker disclosed that Horizon has a memorandum of understanding with a U.S.-based Earth observation firm to add payloads to satellites scheduled for launch next year, and they are close to finalizing an agreement with a separate SAR company.