Guildford satellite firm captures high definition UK space image

By Stephen Emerson

20 January 2022

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Picture: Surrey Satellite Technology Limited

A satellite manufactured in the South East has captured one of the most defined images of the UK from space ever taken.

Surrey Satellite Technology Limited's (SSTL) NovaSAR-1 satellite took seven images in December which have now been processed and stitched together to form a mosaic which covers 685,000 square miles which includes Britain and its surrounding sea.

NovaSAR-1 images using Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) which allows the on-board camera to capture high quality images even in cloudy weather with the satellite also possessing a dedicated maritime mode that can detect ship movements.

The image captured in December gives a crystal clear picture of the UK with the country's airports, key bridges, lakes and national parks clearly visible.

A spokesman for SSTL said: "NovaSAR-1 has been optimised with three additional imaging modes, including a six metre resolution imaging mode, for a range of other applications, such as flood monitoring and agricultural and forestry applications. "

NovaSAR-1 is the first SAR spacecraft to be manufactured entirely in the UK with key components manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space in Portsmouth.

By Stephen Emerson

Stephen Emerson is the Managing Editor of The Business Magazine and is responsible for the publication's print publications and online properties including the newly launched Biz News websites in Hampshire and Dorset.

Stephen has been a journalist for 20 years and has worked at local, regional and national publications and led a team which made The Scotsman website one of the fastest growing news sites in the UK with over eight million monthly users.

He has a keen interest in technology, property and corporate finance and telling the stories of the people behind the successful firms in these sectors.