[Satellite TODAY 12-01-11]  Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) has been boosted by news of an investment of £21 million ($32.67 million) by the U.K. government, which will enable it to bring low cost radar satellites to market.

            The government will provide the necessary seed funding alongside industry to develop and build the first NovaSAR demonstration satellite, enabling the United Kingdom to showcase this technology to the global marketplace. The first NovaSAR demonstration satellite could be launched as early as 2013.

            “Satellites enable us to monitor and manage some of the most important issues affecting our planet. This exciting project will provide the United Kingdom with a world-leading constellation of its own and is a clear signal of the government’s continued commitment to the U.K. space industry. NovaSAR will keep us at the forefront of space technology, and will drive growth and innovation as governments and businesses across the globe develop scientific and commercial uses for the data,” Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts said in a statement.