Advancing UK Aerospace, Defence, Security & Space Solutions Worldwide
  • Home
  • /
  • Space
  • /
  • Babcock Team Aurora develops plans for MoD sat comms

Defence Space

Babcock Team Aurora develops plans for MoD sat comms

Babcock-led Team Aurora is putting collaboration, continuity and responsiveness at the heart of its solution to support the UK’s the defence satellite communications system.

Image by Willy Barton / copyright Shutterstock

The SKYNET 6 Service Delivery Wrap contract will include the provision of satellite operations management and through-life support for the UK’s Ministry of Defence.

Down-selected last year, Team Aurora – led by Babcock and including GovSat, Intelsat and SES - has gone forward to the next stage of the competition with its plans progressing at pace.

Advertisement
ODU RT

Together the team brings a wealth of both international public and commercial expertise to support the delivery of the contract, and will put partnership with the Ministry of Defence at the centre of its delivery approach.

Backed by its unique, collective experience across defence and satcom operations, Team Aurora will maximise the use of existing infrastructure to bring efficiencies, leverage its extensive experience as a UK service delivery and support provider, and provide value for money by bringing technological innovation from the outset of contract.

Skynet 6 SDW will provide services necessary to support the current Skynet 5 infrastructure, and the successful transition and continuous delivery of service for future Skynet operations.

Matthew Parnell, Babcock’s Defence Systems Technology Director, on behalf of Team Aurora, said: “Bringing insight and engagement from day one, Team Aurora is focused on providing an uninterrupted, highly available service that is responsive and brings an assured end to end approach for the Ministry of Defence.

Advertisement
ODU RT

“We will put people at the centre of the service. Developing a culture of collaboration, Team Aurora will invest time to deliver value back through knowledge transfer and will grow a one-team ethos with our customer and the supply chain.”

 

Advertisement
General Atomics LB
SOLAR-1 becomes operational

Space

SOLAR-1 becomes operational

16 June 2026

Global space weather forecasting is getting a step-change in capability as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) SOLAR-1 satellite becomes operational.

Optera funding fuels UK hub for space domain awareness

Defence Security Space

Optera funding fuels UK hub for space domain awareness

15 June 2026

Optera, a neuromorphic sensing company delivering next-generation space domain awareness (SDA), has raised £3 million to establish and scale its UK headquarters and engineering team.

ESA officially adopts ARRAKIHS as F2 Mission

Space

ESA officially adopts ARRAKIHS as F2 Mission

12 June 2026

The European Space Agency (ESA) has officially adopted ARRAKIHS as its second FAST-class (F2) scientific mission, with the University of Surrey leading the UK’s role in the project to uncover the hidden history of galaxies ahead of a confirmed target launch date of 2030.

UK funding boosts breakthrough space tech

Space

UK funding boosts breakthrough space tech

11 June 2026

At London Tech Week, UK Space Minister Liz Lloyd unveiled more than £19 million to support British companies developing next-generation space technologies.

Advertisement
ODU RT
Tekever and Sapient Perception to explore airborne ISR sensing integration

Aerospace Security Space

Tekever and Sapient Perception to explore airborne ISR sensing integration

9 June 2026

Tekever and Sapient Perception have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore the integration and evaluation of Sapient Perception’s 10K camera system on Tekever uncrewed aerial systems.

NewOrbit to open Earth’s last empty orbit

Space

NewOrbit to open Earth’s last empty orbit

8 June 2026

Between commercial aircraft at 10 km and conventional satellites at 500 km lies a band of near-Earth space, called very low earth orbit (or VLEO), which until now, has not been accessible for commercial space flight.

Advertisement
ODU RT
Advertisement
General Atomics LB