By Stephanie Dwilson | 2026-07-22

The United Kingdom is ramping up efforts to better protect its satellites through a newly activated space domain awareness system that will enhance its ability to track and monitor objects in space.

The Borealis command, control and data processing system, which began operating in May, six months ahead of schedule, improves the nation's ability to track objects in space that can threaten or damage its satellites.

These objects can include both adversary satellites and space debris.

Per the UK Space Agency's 2025-2026 annual report, the National Space Operations Center monitored an average of 56 uncontrolled re-entries and issued on average 1,913 collision warnings per month to UK satellite operators.

"The teams responded to multiple substantive events that posed a potential threat to UK interests, enabling National Space Operations Center and government to exercise its response capabilities in real-time," it said.

"Refinement of additional warning capabilities have continued, including in relation to high-risk launch notifications, fragmentation and asteroids."

According to the annual report, published July 14, improving the resilience and security of the UK space sector has remained a central priority.

"Protecting our satellites from adversaries keeps our economy moving and keeps us all safe," British MP Luke Pollard, minister for defense readiness and industry, said in a government statement.

"As we increase defense spending we are investing in new defensive capabilities in all domains, including UK space-based capabilities."

The UK has committed to increasing defense spending to 2.6% of gross domestic product from 2027, per Innovation News Network.

Protecting British satellites

The new space-tracking software will enhance the ability to monitor and protect the space assets that underpin national security, military operations, global navigation, money transfers and weather forecasting, per the UK government.

CGI UK has been awarded a £65 million ($86 million) five-year contract to develop and maintain the Borealis system.

As a joint initiative of the military UK Space Command and civilian UK Space Agency, Borealis is designed as a dual-purpose, civil-military platform.

It works by rapidly compiling data from multiple sources, analyzing it, and providing assessments to the National Space Operations Center at RAF High Wycombe, which delivers the UK’s space surveillance and protection mission.

In a May 22 social media post, UK Space Command showed an example of the Borealis software monitoring Tyche, one of its satellites in low Earth orbit.

"Borealis represents a significant step forward in the UK’s ability to monitor, protect and defend the critical space capabilities," Space Minister Liz Lloyd said in a statement.

"This joint investment by the UK Space Agency and Space Command, backed by British expertise and jobs, ensures the UK remains a world leader in understanding and protecting the space environment for generations to come."

In addition to monitoring space assets, Borealis will enhance the UK’s overall space domain awareness, including the impact of space weather.

It also will provide "timely decision-quality information to government and military commanders through an interoperable system, across different tiers of security classification," a government statement said.

Noctis-1 military telescope

At the same time as it announced Borealis’ launch, the British government also shared the first publicly available images captured by its new Noctis-1 military telescope (formerly known as Nyx-Alpha).

The telescope monitors objects in Earth orbit to help prevent collisions with UK satellites and other critical space assets. Its data feeds directly into Borealis.

The images show:

• The UK Skynet 5D satellite in orbit near Emirati and Russian satellites
• The Starlink-343343 satellite on orbit following fragmentation in April
• The International Space Station’s ZARYA module in orbit, also in April
• A Starlink satellite in orbit in front of the M101 galaxy, in March
• A Chinese TJS-14 satellite in orbit in front of the Orion Nebulae, in March

The new Borealis software will use images like these to relay a faster overview of "everything orbiting Earth," the Ministry of Defense noted in a social media post.

When Nyx Alpha was first announced in 2023, a government statement noted it would "allow for the sharing of data with partner organizations and international allies, improving the UK’s contribution to strategic space relationships."

British company Spaceflux won the contract to build, maintain and operate the Noctis-1 space telescope.

In March, the Ministry of Defense revealed plans to build a remotely-operated satellite monitoring facility in Cyprus, according to the independent technology news website The Register.

Noctis-2 will involve a large-scale electro-optical static array, may include an infrared telescope, and is expected to protect the UK's Skynet communications system.

The array will be in Cyprus, which is closer to the equator and has clearer skies than the UK, and will be operated remotely from RAF High Wycombe, with data passed to the National Space Operating Center.

This will provide a "persistent stare capability" of the orbit used by geostationary satellites, broader monitoring of the skies and the ability to examine chosen objects, per a preliminary market engagement notice, the report said.