Just before 8pm (UK time) on 16th August, TYCHE and 115 other satellites commenced their delivery into Low Earth Orbit on the Space X Falcon 9 Transporter-11 rocket launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, US. TYCHE is an optical imaging microsatellite, approximately 160 kg in mass, designed and manufactured in Guildford, UK, by SSTL. Tyche is the 74th satellite launched by SSTL since 1981. (See below pic of SSTL’s Martin Sweeting & Andrew Cawthorne watching the launch at SSTL HQ in Guildford with UK Space Command’s Chris Page and Rachel Spicer & Dave Luney of Defence Equipment & Support, MOD.)
UK Space Command is a joint Command established in 2021, located at RAF High Wycombe. The Command is responsible for space operations, space workforce and space capability. TYCHE is the first Operational Concept Demonstrator (OCD) satellite delivered under Space Command’s £127 million MINERVA programme, the precursor to an operational constellation under Programme ISTARI.
TYCHE is the latest development of SSTL’s Carbonite class satellites. The first Carbonite spacecraft, Carbonite-1, launched in 2015 and was an innovative development mission hosting a commercial telescope modified for the space environment. The latest Carbonite range features high-resolution optical, mid-wave infra-red or Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payloads. TYCHE features the high-resolution optical payload delivering sub-1m GSD imagery with an Inter-Satellite Link and onboard processing capability. (Tyche is pictured below with the SSTL Project Team.)
Andrew Cawthorne, Managing Director - SSTL, said “TYCHE is a fantastic mission that has continued to develop our relationship with MOD that started with their involvement in the Carbonite-2 mission back in 2016. The UK now has a sovereign space-based ISR capability which is a major milestone on the path to delivering the UK Defence Space Strategy. It is a very proud day for all involved.”
Major-General Paul Tedman, Commander of UK Space Command, said “This is a fabulous day for UK Space. The successful launch of Tyche has shown that UK Space Command, and its essential partners across defence and industry, can rapidly take a concept through to delivery of a satellite on orbit. In many ways today marks the end of the beginning for UK Space Command. Tyche represents the first of an entire constellation of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance satellites that we’ll launch over the coming years to rapidly increase support to the nation, and our sailors, soldiers, aviators, and civil servants who are so dependent on space. I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate everybody involved with Tyche, and thank them for their support.”