The UK Space Agency plans to award a £25 million contract for a ground-based space surveillance radar on July 16, 2027. Work under this agreement is scheduled to commence on August 1, 2027, with an initial duration of three years and potential extensions through March 2032.
The contract focuses on the development and manufacturing of a high-power radar system. This equipment will track satellites and space debris in low Earth orbit from a site in the Southern Hemisphere. The facility aims to detect objects as small as five centimetres at a range of 1,000 kilometres, generating at least 10,000 tracks daily.
The procurement strategy was revised to split the project into two parts. While the first contract covers hardware and software for £25 million, a separate £5 million contract will address construction and site preparation. The government has decided to proceed under a national security exemption following several changes to the tender process.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology previously considered alternative procurement methods under the Procurement Act 2023 but ultimately returned to the national security exemption. A specific site for the radar has been identified, though further discussions depend on final equipment specifications.
