Rendering of the Juno satellite. Photo: SSTL

Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) has won a new U.K. government contract worth 40 million pounds ($51.9 million) to build the Juno satellite for the UK Ministry of Defence.

The new Juno satellite will support military operations, and will be designed and built in the U.K. The satellite will be able to capture daytime images of the Earth’s surface, strengthening the U.K.’s intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. Expected to launch in 2027, Juno will have advanced imagery sensors, building on the capabilities of Tyche, UK Space Command’s first satellite which successfully launched in August this year. SSTL announced the contract award, Nov. 4.

Both satellites form part of the Ministry of Defence’s space-based ISR program, which will deliver a constellation of satellites and supporting ground systems by 2031. These satellites will support military operations, for instance by monitoring adversary activities, and 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. The Juno project with SSTL will support around 200 skilled jobs, boosting the U.K.’s space sector and helping to grow the economy.

“We’re incredibly proud that the Ministry of Defence has again placed its trust in SSTL to deliver the U.K.’s next sovereign ISR spacecraft. Juno will offer a step change in imaging capability over Tyche, SSTL’s demonstrator spacecraft which launched in August and is now being operated for UK Space Command. We look forward to continuing our successful relationship with UK Space Command, DE&S, and Dstl, and playing a leading role in delivering the UK Defence Space Strategy,” Andrew Cawthorne, Managing Director, SSTL, said in a statement.