Airbus-Backed Satellite Planned for Launch

Two companies are planning to launch a radar satellite into space, intended for security and observation applications.

Called Carbsar, the mission is being developed by Surrey Satellite Technology and Oxford Space Systems. The project responds to the effective use of radar tech in the ongoing Ukraine conflict, currently used to monitor Russian movements, and is intended to fill a gap in U.K. surveillance.

The work has been jointly funded by Airbus Defense and Space, the National Security Strategic Investment Fund and the U.K. Ministry of Defense.

The satellite’s design features a nine-foot wide, umbrella-like antenna which will be foldable and easier to maneuver when launching. Specialized knitting machines are being used to create the structure. Once in orbit, the mesh can be unfurled to form the umbrella-like structu

Surrey Satellite said the satellite leverages “an innovative deployable X-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) payload to provide high-resolution imaging capabilities night and day, whatever the weather.”

That is, by using radar technology the satellite is able to capture images without requiring favorable light conditions. According to the collaborators, the high-resolution image capture can be used for environmental and infrastructure observation, as well as disaster control and for security measures.

“Surveillance, change detection and big data analytics applications are driving interest in spaceborne SAR data,” the Surrey Satellite team said in a statement.

The antenna has already completed a successful test on the ground. Once in orbit, the satellite is anticipated to operate for five years.