UK MOD awards Oberon satellite contract to Airbus
NewsFebruary 11, 2025
LONDON, United Kingdom. Airbus won a contract from the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) to design and build two Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites under the Oberon program, the company announced in a statement.
The Oberon satellites will provide the UK MOD with all-weather, day-and-night intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities, the statement reads. Equipped with ultra-high-resolution SAR technology, the satellites aim to enhance operational awareness for British and allied forces, Airbus says.
Airbus will design, build, and test the 400-kilogram satellites at its space facilities in Stevenage and Portsmouth, while the satellite ground segment and geospatial intelligence capabilities will be developed in Guildford, Newcastle, Newport, and Chippenham, according to the company. The spacecraft will feature deployable carbon fiber antennas supplied by Oxford Space Systems, enabling radar imaging for surface mapping, the statement adds.
