The British Defence Ministry awarded two contracts for ground-based software development to support its planned intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance satellite constellation. Rhea and Lockheed Martin won contracts worth £4 million for Project Beroe, with 20-month timelines ending in March 2025 and potential future software acquisition phases unspecified.
Project Beroe will expand satellite control beyond the Skynet 5 network to include ISTARI and Minerva programs, forming the basis of a low-Earth orbit ISR capability for the British military. ISTARI is a £968 million program for multi-satellite surveillance, while Minerva is a £127 million project developing concept demonstrator satellites. Tyche, the first of the Minerva group, is set to launch this year to test autonomous data collection, processing, and dissemination capabilities for future satellite projects.
The British MoD announced a planned £6.4 billion fund for space defense strategy, with the majority allocated to Skynet 6 satellite procurement. Airbus is constructing Skynet 6A, with future competitions to provide narrowband and wideband satellites under the Skynet 6 program already underway.
