Azalea™: Low Earth Orbit satellite system

The Azalea™ satellites will collect multiple sources of data – including wideband RF and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), enabled by technology provided by Finnish firm ICEYE – at one moment in time for a target scene. The system will provide a unique perspective, day and night and through cloud – giving military, civil or commercial users enriched information and insight for decision making.

This monitoring capability will make it easier to detect physical changes, such as the movement of hostile ships or aircraft, or the location of people at risk during natural disasters such as floods and forest fires.

When compared to existing space-based sensors and traditional data transfer processes, the Azalea™ system will save valuable time by combining and analysing data in space. It will identify activities of interest and directly communicate with users on the ground – quickly and securely delivering assured data directly to decision makers.

Unlike conventional, single-purpose satellites, the cluster will be reconfigurable whilst in orbit in the same way a smartphone installs a new app; this will ensure it can deliver future customer missions while expanding the lifecycle of the satellites. Through our open architecture, future Azalea™ clusters will be interoperable with different sensor types – such as electro-optical, hyperspectral and infrared – and allied nations’ programmes.