Advancing UK Aerospace, Defence, Security & Space Solutions Worldwide
  • Home
  • /
  • Space
  • /
  • Satellite Vu and SSTL commission satellite clone

Space

Satellite Vu and SSTL commission satellite clone

Satellite Vu has commissioned a new clone of its original satellite in collaboration with Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. (SSTL) to double its data collection capacity.


Image courtesy Satellite Vu 

The deal sees SSTL begin construction on the second of Satellite Vu’s Mid Wave Infra-Red (MWIR) thermal imaging satellites which will collect thermal data day and night of the natural and built environment at any location on the planet, enabling the measurement of heat signatures and heat loss of any building in the world.

Advertisement
Security & Policing Rectangle

The satellites will form a constellation which will have the capacity to measure the energy efficiency of buildings, alongside fire spread prediction and water pollution, multiple times a day, providing real time data-driven climate insights.

The contract for the first Satellite Vu satellite was signed in 2021 with SSTL ready for shipment in the first quarter of 2023 for a launch aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9.

The second satellite, which is an exact clone of the first, is expected to be launched in early 2024 in response to market demand for greater capacity and more frequent revisit times.

The news comes after Satellite Vu recently completed their funding via the UKSA National Space Innovation Programme (NSIP), helping to implement de-risking technology and make significant operational improvements.

Anthony Baker, Founder and CEO of Satellite Vu said: “Environmental issues are at the forefront of everyone’s minds, from governments to businesses to consumers, as we collectively recognise the urgency of creating a green and sustainable future for all.”

Advertisement
ODU RT

“To create this future, we urgently need verifiable data sets to measure our progress and provide comparable metrics, therefore our satellites are set to revolutionise climate change by tackling energy wastage and connecting governments and businesses with the necessary data to reduce their carbon emissions.”

“The procurement of another satellite is driven by market demand for more capacity to address urgent customer problems and investor confidence in the team to accelerate the execution of the company business plan.”

Phil Brownnett, Managing Director of SSTL, said: “I am delighted to sign another contract with Satellite Vu for a second thermal imaging satellite and look forward to continuing to work closely with Satellite Vu to achieve their business goals.”

 

Advertisement
ECS leaderboard banner
SSTL joins Eric and Wendy Schmidt Observatory System’s Lazuli

Space

SSTL joins Eric and Wendy Schmidt Observatory System’s Lazuli

9 March 2026

Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) today announced its role as a key industrial collaborator in the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Observatory System’s Lazuli, a pioneering initiative that will deliver one of the most ambitious privately funded space telescopes ever conceived.

UK space tech startups target debris, wildfires and climate risk

Security Space

UK space tech startups target debris, wildfires and climate risk

9 March 2026

Six UK space tech startups have joined the European Space Agency Business Incubation Centre UK (ESA BIC UK) to develop technologies that deliver practical benefits in space and on Earth, applying space technology to some of today’s most urgent challenges, from clearing space junk to detecting wildfires in seconds.

UK National Microgravity Research Centre opens in Swansea

Space

UK National Microgravity Research Centre opens in Swansea

9 March 2026

The UK’s first National Microgravity Research Centre has been completed at Swansea University, marking the successful delivery of a £13 million project part-funded by the UK Space Agency.

Collaboration to support in-orbit pharmaceuticals manufacturing

Space

Collaboration to support in-orbit pharmaceuticals manufacturing

5 March 2026

The UK Space Agency, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO) within the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) are working collaboratively to provide a supportive regulatory environment to space, biopharma and pharmaceutical ...

Advertisement
PTC rectangle
UK funding aimed at £40bn satellite communications market

Space

UK funding aimed at £40bn satellite communications market

5 March 2026

British companies developing satellite communications technology are to receive £30 million in government funding, Space Minister Liz Lloyd announced yesterday, as the UK looks to secure a larger share of a global market worth £40 billion.

Mutable Tactics secures Seraphim Space led funding

Defence Space

Mutable Tactics secures Seraphim Space led funding

4 March 2026

British robotics autonomy company, Mutable Tactics, has closed a pre seed funding round of $2.1 million led by Seraphim Space, with support from the UK’s National Security Strategic Investment Fund, Koro, Entrepreneurs First and Transpose.

Advertisement
ODU RT
Advertisement
Gulfstream banner