SuperSharp has recently secured funding through Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) via the UK Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) Open Call for Innovation, representing a key step forward in our mission to develop next-generation Thermal Infrared (TIR) technologies. This support builds on the foundation of our earlier development work and a productive collaboration with Dstl and DASA that enabled the creation of our space-rated TIR CubeSat-compatible unfolding space telescopes. The new funding will accelerate the expansion of our capabilities, including the integration of novel observation domains such as Space Domain Awareness (SDA) alongside our core Earth Observation applications—bringing our innovative space solutions closer to operational deployment.
SDA is important to the United Kingdom and other entities due to an increased requirement to categorise, monitor and track objects in orbit.
Firstly, for defence, SDA via TIR would enable the monitoring and tracking of satellites, including characterising them from their heat signature. Furthermore, TIR SDA technology will allow the user to monitor the health of their own satellites and identify potential failures, for example in the case of a loss of communication, one could utilise thermal imaging to determine whether the satellite is cold and therefore potentially ‘dead’.
In the environmental application, TIR SDA will allow for the tracking of space debris and dead satellites, enabling the end user to understand re-entry trajectories and identify potential collision risks with other in orbit objects.
In addition to these points, TIR SDA could also be useful for the identification and tracking of missiles in the upwards trajectory, due to the heat signature given off by the propellant.
The Alert project sets out to utilise a number of different telescopes, both off the shelf and bespoke in-house developed (such as SPIRIT ) to identify satellites in low Earth orbit, both in tracking modes, following the satellite, as well as in an untracked mode, pointing the telescopes and identifying, tracking and categorising satellites or objects that pass through the field of view.
SuperSharp will further develop the data collection from these telescopes to enhance the image for greater clarity, allowing for better interpretation, as well as applying algorithms to filter false readings such as over flying aircraft passing through.
The telescope’s ability to capture images using thermal wavelengths enables SuperSharp to capture data during daylight hours, rather than the traditional times to spot and track in-orbit objects using visible wavelengths at dawn/dusk and during the night. This enhances the ability to monitor and gather data, giving 24/7 coverage.
Together, these technologies position SuperSharp at the forefront of EO and SDA innovation, delivering actionable intelligence and resilient sensing capabilities that are difficult to match with traditional systems.
