Vital emergency services, military operations and British businesses will be better protected through a new system to protect UK satellites and the services they provide from space

UK Space System to Better Protect Satellites as New Imagery Released
UK Space System to Better Protect Satellites as New Imagery Released

The new software, known as Borealis, is now operational six months ahead of schedule and will better protect the UK by improving the awareness and ability to track objects in space.

This includes debris and satellites from adversaries that might be a threat to UK satellites, with Borealis providing the military with crucial information to protect and defend space systems and assets.

The software rapidly compiles, fuses, and analyses data from multiple sources to provide the National Space Operations Centre a faster and more accurate picture of space, helping the UK monitor threats more effectively.

This comes as the UK releases for the first time images captured by the Britain’s Noctis-1 military telescope (formerly called Nyx-Alpha), which monitors objects in Earth’s orbit, providing position information on UK satellites, helping to prevent collisions and protecting critical space assets.

Luke Pollard MP, Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, said:

Images captured by Noctis-1 show a range of objects in space, such as the International Space Station, the UK’s SKYNET military communications satellites, and other satellites from nations around the world. Images and data from Noctis-1 are fed into the Borealis system, supporting its mission to enhance the UK’s space awareness.

The new software is being rolled out as part of a £65 million, five-year contract with CGI UK, supporting 100 skilled jobs in Leatherhead, Reading and Bristol. The UK’s investment in space capabilities is part of this government’s largest sustained rise in defence spending since the Cold War, growing to 2.6% of GDP from 2027.

With nearly 20% of UK GDP reliant on satellites, it will enhance the UK’s ability to monitor and safeguard the critical national space assets that underpin national security, modern military operations, global navigation, money transfers, and weather forecasting.

Space Minister Liz Lloyd MP said:

Major General Paul Tedman, Commander of UK Space Command, said:

Borealis is a unique, UK-made system which underpins military operations around the world. It is being deployed in the National Space Operations Centre, which delivers the UK’s space surveillance and protection mission.  

Neil Timms, Senior Vice President of Space, Defence & Intelligence UK & Australia at CGI said:

It will monitor environmental conditions and objects in space such as space debris and active satellites; compile all data related to UK satellites so they can be better protected; and provide timely information to government and military commanders to strengthen decision making, enabling military operations on earth.

This investment builds on a strong and enduring partnership between UK Space Command and the UK Space Agency (UKSA), combining defence with civil leadership and expertise to strengthen national resilience, improve space safety, and ensure the UK continues to operate as a responsible and trusted spacefaring nation.