Skynet 6A Triumphs in First Design Assessment Milestone
Airbus has triumphantly finished the initial critical stage of the Skynet 6A initiative with the accomplishment of the Preliminary Design Review (PDR). The project now has authorization to advance to the subsequent phase leading to the Critical Design Review (CDR).
In July 2020, Airbus was granted the Skynet 6A contract, and teams at its facilities in Stevenage, Portsmouth, and Hawthorn have been diligently progressing on this programme to reach this significant milestone. Virtual meetings with the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) were conducted, allowing the review board to convene in October, culminating in the PDR achievement in November.
Richard Franklin, Managing Director of Airbus Defence and Space UK stated: “This is fantastic news and illustrates our collective dedication to collaborating effectively in order to adhere to the programme timeline. The advances we are making in constructing the UK MOD’s next-generation military satellite and reaching this point, amidst current challenges, truly underscores the adaptable and robust working relationship we have established with the Defence Digital team. Built entirely in the UK, Skynet 6A will substantially upgrade the UK’s military satellite communications capability, building upon the legacy of the four Skynet 5 satellites also manufactured by Airbus, all of which continue to operate flawlessly in orbit.”
Teams across both the space and ground segments at Airbus coordinated closely with their MOD counterparts to ensure the programme stays on course.
Skynet 6A will augment and improve the Skynet fleet. The agreement signed with the UK MOD in July 2020 encompasses the design, production, cyber defense, assembly, integration, testing, and launch of the military communications satellite, Skynet 6A, anticipated for launch in 2025. This contract also encompasses technology development initiatives, new secure telemetry, tracking and command systems, launch operations, in-orbit evaluations, and updates to the existing Skynet 5 ground segment. The contract’s value exceeds £500 million.
The Skynet 5 programme, offered by Airbus as a full-service outsourcing contract, has supplied the UK MOD with a suite of highly durable, dependable, and secure military communication services, facilitating global operations since 2003. Airbus has participated in every phase of Skynet since 1974, with this phase reinforcing a firm UK commitment to space manufacturing domestically. The programme began with legacy Skynet 4 satellites and enhanced them with a fully refurbished ground network before deploying the Skynet 5A, 5B, 5C, and 5D satellites between 2007 and 2012.
The Skynet 5 programme has minimized or eliminated numerous technical and service-related risks for the MOD, while ensuring unmatched secure satellite communications and innovation for UK forces. Over the years of providing a remarkably dependable Skynet service, the Airbus teams have significantly prolonged the operational lifespan of the Skynet satellites, extending their service life well beyond their original design specifications, thereby offering considerable additional value and capability to the UK.
The Skynet 6A satellite is founded on Airbus’ Eurostar Neo telecommunications satellite platform. It will leverage a larger portion of the radio frequency spectrum designated for satellite communications along with cutting-edge digital processing to deliver both enhanced capacity and increased adaptability compared to the Skynet 5 satellites. The satellite will incorporate electric orbit-raising propulsion and electric station-keeping systems for optimal cost efficiency. Comprehensive satellite integration will occur at Airbus facilities within the UK, followed by testing at RAL Space testing facilities in Harwell, Oxfordshire, supporting the UK Space Agency’s initiative for sovereign end-to-end satellite manufacturing and support.
