UK Space Agency to award £25M space surveillance radar contract in July 2027

The UK Space Agency expects to award a £25 million contract for a ground-based space surveillance radar on 16 July 2027, with work due to begin on 1 August. The call was published in late September. The initial contract runs for three years, with possible extensions through March 2032.

The contract covers development and manufacture of a high-power radar to track satellites and space debris in low Earth orbit. It will be installed at a Southern Hemisphere location that has not been disclosed. The tender says a site has been identified, but discussions cannot progress further until the equipment specification and characteristics are known. Once operational, the radar is expected to detect objects about five centimetres across at distances of 1,000 kilometres and produce at least 10,000 object tracks per day.

UKSA first planned a single £30 million contract covering development, manufacture and installation. After an industry engagement exercise it split the procurement in two: up to £25 million for hardware and software, and an estimated £5 million for construction, site preparation and installation.

The national security exemption has also shifted. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology said in May it would use the exemption while reconsidering its approach to international prime contractors. An August amendment said the government would instead follow a competitive procedure under the Procurement Act 2023, but that was reversed the following month. The latest call invokes the exemption again and does not explain why.

Sourceeuropeanspaceflight.com