The UK has initiated a new project to protect its vital satellite infrastructure from laser-based attacks. A joint endeavour by UK Space Command (UKSC) and the UK Space Agency (UKSA), the programme will develop advanced sensor technology to identify and characterise laser threats directed at military and civilian satellites.
Adversaries can use lasers to track, dazzle, or permanently blind satellites, disrupting essential services and intercepting communications. The new sensors are designed to distinguish between benign and hostile laser activity, providing crucial data to safeguard national space assets. This initiative is backed by an initial £500,000 investment from the UKSA’s ‘Unlocking Space for Government’ programme.
The announcement underscores the critical role of space in both daily life and national defence. Nearly a fifth of the UK’s GDP relies on satellite services, which enable everything from financial transactions and navigation to weather forecasting and emergency response. For the military, satellites are indispensable for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and secure communications.
This move follows the recent Strategic Defence Review, which elevated space to a warfighting domain equal to land, sea, and air. The review highlighted the growing threats to Western interests in orbit and the need for robust defensive capabilities.
Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, Luke Pollard MP, stated, “Space is a hugely important and contested frontline… It is essential [satellites] are protected. Today’s announcement shows our commitment to defend British assets in orbit.”
Major General Paul Tedman, Commander of UK Space Command, emphasised the urgency, noting the need for “new and innovative edge technology” to compete against a “growing arsenal of adversary counterspace systems.” He expressed delight that investment was being made so swiftly after the defence review.
Harshbir Sangha of the UK Space Agency added that the project is a vital step in ensuring the UK remains “resilient and ready in an increasingly contested space environment.” The initiative also supports the government’s broader economic plan, with the defence sector contributing over £42 billion to the economy last year.
