Space

Space technology helps us achieve incredible things – from protecting citizens, to securing communications and defending nations. For the last 20+ years, BAE Systems has been at the forefront of space innovation. Our specialist technologies in waveforms, electronics, antennas, digital signal processing and analytics have opened the door to new opportunities. Today, we are committed to further investing in our space capabilities.

At BAE Systems Digital Intelligence, our mission in space is to deliver space-enabled solutions for security and future prosperity. 

We are using our heritage in delivering complex defence programmes to develop the UK’s sovereign space capability, build a more diverse UK space industry, and build partnerships both in the UK and internationally. Our focus is on designing and delivering complex satellite systems and data products for defence and civil customers which can be used on Earth, near space and deep space. Our space domain capabilities enable sovereign, secure and resilient data sharing between different platforms – land, sea, air and space. 

We design, build and operate satellites in orbit and we have specialist technologies in waveforms, electronics, antenna and digital signal processing and analytics via software defined radios, with 20 years of experience in ground based signal processing for space agencies. BAE Systems Digital Intelligence’s new ground station antenna has been installed at one of our UK sites in Great Baddow, Essex – providing the ability to securely command, control and communicate with spacecraft. It comprises a 2.4-m fully steerable dish with X-band transmit and receive capabilities.

BAE Systems has self-invested in Azalea™, a cluster-based satellite system that will analyse Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and radio frequency (RF) data using machine learning and on-board edge processors to deliver derived insight and intelligence securely, anywhere in the world while still in orbit. Comprising highly resilient satellites, the Azalea™ cluster will deliver timely, actionable intelligence, essential for military operations and disaster response.

This capability marks a key step in the Azalea™ programme to deliver early functionality that detects and geolocates radio frequency (RF) transmissions from space to identify and uncover hidden and illegal activity. This complementary data can be used to tip and cue other datasets to enhance intelligence capability, even when traditional geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) sources are compromised by weather, distance, or sea-state.

Satellite constellation capacity is tasked to perform collections in specific bands over critical user areas of interest. Our proprietary processing system then transforms the satellite collections into two accurate and easy to ingest products which combine to provide our multi-layered, geospatial intelligence and signal intelligence (GEOINT/SIGINT) combination to enable ‘RF Mapping’.

Our Tracking, Telemetry and Command Processor (TTCP) allows the European Space Agency to track, communicate and control deep space missions, including the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer, known as ‘Juice’, which is on its eight year journey from Earth to Callisto, Europa and Ganymede.

TTCP is next generation technology for ground station signal processing. It offers high precision, is extremely fast and highly flexible and is designed to support current and future missions operating in near-earth and deep-space.

TTCP can communicate with spacecraft travelling away from the Earth at up to 180,00km/h. Using stations positioned in key locations on the Earth’s surface, TCCP can triangulate the position of spacecraft with an accuracy of 0.2 millionths of a degree.

The system can measure the distance of a spacecraft to within 10cm anywhere in the solar system and can download information with data rates of up to 75 Mbps from 1.5 million km away.

Our technology supports our customers’ communications, intelligence, imaging and positioning needs in bold and innovative ways:

• Software defined radio (SDR) payloads and secure communications payloads - providing a secure sub-sea to space communications chain, capability for in-orbit upgrades, greater mission flexibility, advanced data sharing and enhanced mission lifetimes via a platform-agnostic STT&C system and waveform design. 
• Hosted payload satellite missions – making it easier than ever to launch payloads into orbit 
• ISR solutions – software that can autonomously collect, process and disseminate data to users
• Geo-intelligence analytics – using machine learning and artificial intelligence to interpret and deliver solutions
• Space operations – in-orbit commissioning and spacecraft operations