| NEXT GENERATION CIVIL TILTROTOR – TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATOR: FIRST GROUND RUN

The Next Generation Civil TiltRotor Programme is led by Leonardo as part of the Clean Sky 2 EU-funded initiative, aimed to develop and demonstrate in-flight innovative civil tiltrotor technologies enabling higher speed, reduced CO₂, and lower noise compared to conventional helicopters.

Cruising up to 280 kts – twice the speed of conventional helicopters, and close to turboprop aircraft speed – NGCTR allows CO₂ and noise reduction, and represents an optimal solution for special missions, such as medical services and search-and-rescues. Furthermore, by offering an unrivalled door-to-door time advantage with respect to other air carriers expandable up to approximatively 1000 nautical miles range, the NGCTR steps up the performance and operational capability of traditional rotorcraft configurations, and enables increased productivity and capability for different civil missions.

Launched in 2015, the NGCTR-TD has completed the assembly phase in June 2024. By achieving this milestone, the project could officially start the ground test before its first flight. An intensive ground test phase will start in the next months with the objective of verifying the systems and collect the data required to obtain the flight authorization form ENAC and EASA. The first flight is scheduled for the end of 2024.

Fast Rotorcraft Clean Aviation Project Officer Antonello Marino followed closely the projects since its first stages, and highlighted the many innovations developed across the Fast Rotorcraft and Airframe System Platform Demonstrators incorporated into NGCTR:

• Advanced wing architecture featuring morphing surfaces enabling 3 to 5% aerodynamic efficiency;
• Innovative rotor tilting system with a split gearbox and efficient nacelle architecture allowing more than 10% of fuel reduction;
• Advanced Fly by Wire Flight Control System (FCS) replacing conventional electro-mechanical systems.

“The innovative V-tail developed within the Airframe ITD has the purpose of reducing the overall drag while improving aerodynamic stability. It is expected that the tail will be 10% lighter than a conventional tail, and that it will lead to 30-40% cost reduction.”, commented Sonell Shroff, Airframe Project Officer at Clean Aviation, who attended at event in Cascina Costa together with Antonello Marino.

NGCTR development has involved 28 projects, engaging more than 70 organizations from 14 European countries, including universities, research centers, and industries. In the words of Massimo Biggi, LDO Next Generation Fast Rotorcraft Programs Manager at Leonardo Helicopters, “The achievement of the first ground run is the result of a massive work made by numerous profit and non-profit organizations. The first Ground Run at Leonardo’s facility in Cascina Costa was therefore not only a huge technical success, but also a demonstration of how Leonardo is able to capture the strengths and capabilities that are available in Europe. Being the first clean-sheet tiltrotor concept design made entirely in Europe, it has allowed us to develop and test core technologies enabling development of future high-speed rotorcrafts with long range and vertical take-off and landing capabilities.”

| ROMANIA GETS EIB SUPPORT FOR WORLD’S FIRST ZERO-EMISSIONS TYRE FACTORY WITH LOAN TO NOKIAN TYRES

• Romania receives EIB backing to become home to the world’s first tyre-production plant with no carbon-dioxide emissions.
• EIB lends Nokian Tyres €150 million to build green factory in northwestern Romanian city of Oradea.
• Manufacturing site to begin operations in early 2025 and reach full capacity in 2027.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is lending Nokian Tyres €150 million for the construction in Romania of the world’s first plant for producing passenger car tyres without emitting carbon dioxide (CO2). The credit to Finland-based Nokian Tyres is for a state-of-the-art factory in the northwestern Romanian city of Oradea. The support highlights the EIB’s commitment to climate action as well as to regional development and social cohesion in the European Union. The Oradea factory, due to be completed in 2027, will lead to around 500 full-time jobs and help counter a demographic decline in the area.

“Our collaboration with Nokian Tyres will have a significant contribution to the development of northwestern Romania,” said EIB Vice-President Ioannis Tsakiris. “It will also improve the region’s attractiveness for other potential investors.” The factory in Oradea will be around 100,000 square metres and rely on energy from zero CO2 sources, including locally produced green power, as well as on advanced technologies to prevent CO2 emissions, which cause climate change.The facility will produce up to 6 million tyres annually once full capacity is reached in 2027. It will start commercial operations early 2025 and ramp up capacity in 2026. The site will include a storage facility for tyre distribution. The project is central to Nokian Tyres’ global strategy to develop innovative, reliable and sustainable tyres.

“Our Romania factory will be an industry benchmark with a holistic approach to sustainability, including the use of solely CO2-free energy sources and energy-efficient and highly automated processes,” said Nokian Tyres Vice President and Group Treasurer Leena Kaipainen. “The EIB is an important partner in our investment project and the financing agreement allows us to further develop sustainability of the tyre industry.”

The loan agreement is fully aligned with the EIB’s Climate Action and Environmental Sustainability objectives and adheres to the principles set out in the Paris Agreement. Beyond climate action, this project addresses several Sustainable Development Goals including SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, and SDG 13: Climate Action.

| LESS PLASTIC WASTE MEANS CLEANER BEACHES

Have you noticed anything different about the caps on plastic bottles lately? That is just one of the measures to tackle plastics pollution. Plastics are an important material in our economy that are everywhere in our daily lives but can present negative environmental and health impacts when misused.

Since July 3, single-use plastic bottles sold in the EU must come with their caps or lids attached. This may seem a small change, but its impact could be huge. Plastic caps or lids are part of the almost 26 million tonnes of plastic waste generated every year in Europe, much of which washes up on beaches around the world. Some 80% of marine litter is plastic. Why was the caps change introduced? It’s just one of the outcomes of the EU law on single-use plastics.

The law is part of a broader EU plastics strategy to protect the environment and human health by reducing plastic pollution and marine litter and accelerating our transition to a circular and resource-efficient plastics economy. The strategy lays out how the EU plans to reduce plastic waste across the entire spectrum of plastic production. The Single-use Plastics directive is not “against plastic”. It is against the unsustainable use and littering of plastic. Here are some of the areas where the EU is working on reducing plastic pollution.

Single-use plastics

Single-use plastic products are used once, or for a short period of time, before being thrown away. Under the EU’s rules on single-use plastics, the EU is tackling the 10 single-use plastic items most commonly found on Europe’s beaches and is promoting sustainable alternatives.

The 10 items are

• Cotton bud sticks
• Cutlery, plates, straws and stirrers
• Balloons and sticks for balloons
• Food containers
• Cups for beverages
• Beverage containers
• Cigarette butts
• Plastic bags
• Packets and wrappers
• Wet wipes and sanitary items

Where sustainable alternatives are easily available and affordable, single-use plastic products are banned from the EU market. This applies to cotton bud sticks, cutlery, plates, straws, stirrers, sticks for balloons and food and beverage containers made of expanded polystyrene, as well as all products made of oxo-degradable plastics. For other single-use plastic products, the EU is focusing on limiting their use through, for example, introducing design requirements, such as to connect caps to bottles.

Plastic bags

Lightweight plastic carrier bags are often used only once, but they take centuries to fully degrade in the natural environment. They are one of the top ten littered items in Europe. Under the Plastic Bags Directive, the EU requires EU countries to take measures to ensure that the consumption of lightweight plastic carrier bags is limited and annual consumptions targets reached. It also stipulates that EU countries may not allow such plastic carrier bags to be provided free of charge at the point of sale of goods or products, unless there is an equally effective alternative.

Plastic packaging

The EU’s rules on packaging harmonise national measures on packaging design and the management of packaging waste, as well as provide a high level of environmental protection. The latest amendment to these rules contains updated measures to prevent the production of packaging waste, and promote the reuse, recycling and other forms of recovering of packaging waste, instead of its final disposal. The rules set a target for recycling 50% of plastic packaging by 2025 and 55% by 2030.

Microplastics

Microplastics are small pieces of plastics, usually smaller than 5mm. They are persistent, very mobile and hard to remove from nature. A growing volume of microplastics is found in the environment, including in the sea and in soil, as well as in food and in drinking water. It has been estimated that between 200 and 600 Olympic-size swimming pools of microplastics are unintentionally released into the environment every year.

| EUROJUST SUPPORTS LARGE-SCALE ANTI-MAFIA OPERATION LEADING TO ARREST AND FREEZING OF EUR 50 MILLION

An investigation lasting over two years has uncovered an intricate money laundering scheme run by a mafia family from Palermo. The total value of their profits is estimated at over EUR 500 million. They reinvested the profits of their crimes in multiple companies in Brazil. Cooperation between Italian, Brazilian and Swiss authorities led to the arrest of a member of the organised crime group (OCG) during an action day on 13 August, as well as the freezing of financial assets worth EUR 50 million during several searches in Italy, Brazil and Switzerland.

To support other major mafia families, the OCG was involved in various criminal activities, including extortion, money laundering and the fraudulent transfer of valuables. An integrated network of financial professionals in Italy and around the world helped the OCG to invest its profits in companies in Italy, including a well-known hotel.

In 2016, the suspects moved their activities to Brazil to support another Italian criminal and launder more of their profits. The money arrived in Brazil through multiple transit bank accounts and with the support of their network of financial professionals in Italy.

One of the main members of the mafia family moved to Natal, Brazil, to start several companies using straw men and shell companies. Most of the companies were involved in large real estate and construction projects, such as a building site near the northeastern coast of Brazil. As these real estate projects were guaranteed to generate exceptionally high profits, it was easy for the OCG to hide their criminal gains. The total assets of the family are estimated at over EUR 500 million.

The Italian and Brazilian authorities have been investigating the activities of the OCG since 2022 through a joint investigation team (JIT), set up with the support of Eurojust. Their investigations uncovered the activities of the OCG in Switzerland. Through Eurojust, the Swiss authorities were involved in the JIT’s investigations.

On 13 August, a large coordinated operation took place in Italy, Switzerland and Brazil, with support from Eurojust. In Italy, 21 searches were carried out at the homes of the OCG members and the offices of their companies. A suspect was arrested in Brazil and financial assets worth EUR 50 million euros belonging to 17 individuals (all under investigation) were seized, as well as 12 companies involved in the real estate, construction and hospitality sectors. In Switzerland, the house of an Italian businessman was searched.

The following authorities were involved in the actions:

• Italy: Public Prosecutor’s Office of Palermo – District Antimafia Directorate; Guardia di Finanza – G.I.C.O. (Organized Crime Investigative Group) of Palermo
• Brazil: Federal Prosecutor’s Office of Rio Grande do Norte
• Switzerland: Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland; Federal Office of Police fedpol

| AN ICONIC STEVE MCQUEEN WATCH UP FOR AUCTION AT SOTHEBY’S

One of the most famous watches worn by film celebrities will be auctioned by Sotheby’s next December. It is the Heuer Monaco that Steve McQueen received from the manufacturer during the filming of Le Mans in 1971 as part of a promotional campaign. In total, six identical watches were distributed to the producers during the film’s production. In 2020, one of these was sold at a public auction for $2.2 million. The seller hopes to fetch between $500,000 and $1 million. Launched on the watch market in 1969 by the Swiss watchmaker Tag Heuer, the Heuer Monaco was one of the first automatic chronograph wristwatches

| INVESTIGATIONS OF RIGHTS VIOLATIONS AT EU BORDERS REMAIN INEFFECTIVE

Failure to rescue and assist migrants in distress, maltreatment, and abuse. These are some of the serious and life-threatening human rights violations at the EU’s land and sea borders that are not properly investigated. The latest report from the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) identifies systemic gaps and obstacles to investigating such violations. The Pact on Migration and Asylum constitutes an opportunity to address these. The report suggests concrete steps to ensure more effective investigations into incidents of loss of life and ill-treatment at the EU’s borders.

The report ‘Guidance on investigating alleged ill-treatment at borders’ reveals that many serious, recurrent, and widespread rights violations at borders are not properly investigated.

Victims rarely file complaints against law-enforcement bodies due to mistrust of authorities, fear of retaliation or lack of awareness of the available procedures. Investigating incidents is also difficult as evidence is scarce, especially when violations occur in remote areas or at night. Investigations often lack independence, are not thorough, take too long and rarely involve victims.

Victims of human rights violations at borders find it difficult to seek redress in national courts. An increasing number of cases are reaching the European Court of Human Rights, which has called out Member States for ineffective investigations into ill-treatment and deaths at borders.

The Screening Regulation adopted with the Pact on Migration and Asylum obliges Member States to investigate allegations of fundamental rights violations at borders. The Pact requires Member States to adopt national implementation plans. These should also contain measures for prompt and effective investigations.

To better protect migrants and refugees, FRA calls for robust monitoring at borders and stronger accountability mechanisms. It sets out the following steps to enable effective investigations of rights violations at borders:

• Record testimonies: Human rights bodies should document testimonies of rights violations, publish periodical overviews of the cases and forward relevant information to prosecutors.
• Transparency: National authorities should publish regular statistics on the number and types of disciplinary and criminal investigations, and their outcomes.
• Independent and fair investigations: Authorities should assign cases to specialised prosecutorial departments to ensure unbiased investigations.
• Guidance for prosecutors: Public prosecutor bodies should issue clear guidelines for investigating border-related abuses and for collecting evidence. They should identify and share information about patterns, shortcomings and good practices in investigations.
• Giving victims a voice:  Authorities should also draw on lawyers or victims’ protection organisations to ensure victims are represented and supported to take part in proceedings.
• Gather evidence from technology: Investigators should make use of surveillance footage, GPS data of law enforcement vehicles and personnel, and, where legally permissible, positional mobile phone data of victims and witnesses to identify victims and reconstruct sequence of events.

This FRA report examines disciplinary and criminal investigations into rights violations against migrants and refugees at the EU’s external land and sea borders between 2020 and 2023. It covers allegations of failure to rescue people in distress, physical ill-treatment and other forms of inhuman and degrading treatment that puts migrants’ life and physical integrity at risk. The report does not cover administrative procedures relating to asylum or return and failure to channel asylum-seekers into the appropriate procedures.

| ECDC RECOMMENDS ENHANCING PREPAREDNESS AS MORE IMPORTED CASES OF CLADE I MPOX HIGHLY LIKELY

In a new risk assessment, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has said that it is highly likely that the EU/EEA will see more imported cases of mpox caused by the clade I virus currently circulating in Africa. However, the likelihood of sustained transmission in Europe is very low provided that imported cases are diagnosed quickly and control measures are implemented.

Due to frequent and close travel links between the EU/EEA and Africa, ECDC recommends that EU/EEA Member States issue travel advice for people visiting or returning from areas affected by the outbreak. The likelihood of infection for people from the EU/EEA travelling to affected areas who have close contact with affected communities is high. Additionally, there is a moderate risk for close contacts of possible or confirmed imported cases into the EU/EEA.

“As a result of the rapid spread of this outbreak in Africa, ECDC has increased the level of risk for the general population in the EU/EEA and travellers to affected areas. Due to the close links between Europe and Africa, we must be prepared for more imported clade I cases,” says Pamela Rendi-Wagner, Director of ECDC.

Through strengthened surveillance and preparedness activities as well as the robust healthcare and response capacity in EU/EEA Member States, ECDC predicts that the impact on the EU/EEA from MPXV clade I will be low.

ECDC recommends that public health authorities in the EU/EEA maintain high levels of preparedness planning and awareness raising activities to enable rapid detection and response of any further MPXV clade I cases that may reach Europe. Ensuring effective surveillance, laboratory testing, epidemiological investigation and contact tracing capacities will be vital to detecting cases of MPXV clade I on the continent and activating any response.

Raising awareness among clinicians and establishing effective case management processes once a suspected case is identified will be crucial to detecting any further cases of MPXV clade I in the EU/EEA and preventing any secondary infections. If a clade I infection is detected, the event should be promptly communicated at the EU level via EpiPulse or EWRS. ECDC recommends travellers to epidemic areas consult their healthcare provider or travel health clinic regarding eligibility for vaccination against mpox.

The new risk assessment follows Africa CDC’s declaration of a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security and the declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization. ECDC continues to work with local and international partners to help control the spread of mpox on the African continent.
The outbreak in Africa is distinct from the global MPXV clade IIb outbreak that occurred in 2022 and which continues to circulate at low levels in Europe and globally.

| US BOMBER AIRCRAFT ARRIVE IN BLACK SEA REGION

For the first time, US strategic bomber aircraft have deployed to Romania. Two US Air Force B-52H Stratofortress aircraft have arrived at the Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base in Romania. They’ll be undertaking flying missions with NATO Allies and Partners to synchronise capabilities, tactics and procedures. The B-52Hs have deployed from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana in the United States. The US routinely demonstrates its commitment to NATO Allies and Partners through Bomber Task Force missions, providing assurance and contributing to deterrence, particularly along NATO’s eastern flank

“No nation can meet today’s security challenges alone. So it’s important that we operate in those critical areas like the Black Sea region. So it’s been a great experience for the team here to get to know some of our NATO partners and Allies, to work with them, to fly with them and train with them over the last few days. While we do Bomber Task Force missions all across the globe, this one is a special deployment for us. It’s the first time ever we’ve done a Bomber Task Force to Romania and the first time ever that B-52s have operated on Romanian soil. It gives us a unique opportunity to work with our partners and Allies here, to work with our joint partners in the Army, and conduct real-life missions to hone tactics, techniques, and procedures.” says Lieutenant Colonel Jared Patterson, 20th expeditionary bomb squadron commander.

| BRIBERY BECOMING LESS ACCEPTED IN NIGERIA, SAYS NEW REPORT ON CORRUPTION PATTERNS AND TRENDS IN THE COUNTRY 

Over 70 per cent of Nigerians who were asked to pay a bribe in 2023 refused to do so on at least one occasion, according to a new report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

“Corruption in Nigeria: Patterns and Trends”, jointly produced with Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) with the support of the MacArthur Foundation and the Government of Denmark, is the third survey of perceptions of corruption among the Nigerian population and provides an analysis of corruption trends and the effectiveness of anti-corruption strategies in the country.

Launched by the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice of Nigeria, the survey finds that fewer citizens reported suffering negative consequences after refusing a bribe request in 2023 compared with 2019 (38 per cent versus 49 per cent), suggesting that Nigerians are becoming increasingly comfortable with confronting corrupt officials without fear of repercussions.

Out of all citizens who paid a bribe, 8.6 per cent reported their experience to an official institution in 2023, a marked rise from 3.6 per cent in 2019. The increase may be a result of enhanced access to complaints channels and an increased readiness of institutions to take such complaints seriously and initiate a formal procedure. The share of bribery reports that led to the initiation of a formal procedure against a public official increased nearly three-fold between 2019 and 2023, from 16 per cent to 45 per cent, while the share of those who experienced no follow-up after reporting fell from 34 per cent to 17 per cent.

Despite these notable advances, corruption continues to rank among the most important problems affecting Nigerians, after cost of living, insecurity, and unemployment, and there remain challenges to effectively countering corruption in the country.

Roughly US $1.26 billion – or .35 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product – was paid in cash bribes to public officials in 2023. The prevalence of bribe payments in the private sector increased significantly, meanwhile, from 6 per cent in 2019 to 14 per cent in 2023.

A special gender equity and social inclusion component of the survey report highlights that women continue to be less likely to engage in bribery irrespective of where they live, their age, educational background, and employment status. When in contact with public officials, women (28 per cent) are less likely to experience bribery than men (39 per cent). The survey further shows that only 19 per cent of women public officials solicit or take a bribe when interacting with the public, compared to 35 per cent of male public officials.

In addition, the 2023 report found that people with disabilities are as likely as everyone else to be approached for the payment of bribes. Yet having to pay bribes when accessing public services is likely to place a far greater burden on people with disabilities.

The survey concludes with several policy recommendations. The positive attitude and behavioral changes towards corruption could be further encouraged through rewarding honest citizens and public officials, while holding those who do solicit or accept bribes, including those in the criminal justice system and Parliament, accountable.

Complaint mechanisms could be strengthened and made more accessible. Increasing the use of e-government – and thereby reducing the amount of contact citizens have with public officials – could further reduce the number of bribes paid.

| RescEU FIREFIGHTING AIRPLANES PRODUCTION LAUNCHED

The production of twelve amphibious firefighting planes to make up the permanent rescEU fleet has been launched following agreements signed by a number of EU Member States with the Canadian Commercial Corporation.

The planes will be financed by the European Commission and will become the new backbone of the EU’s crisis response to tackle forest fires. Aircraft from the rescEU reserves can be rapidly deployed in case a country is facing severe wildfires that require additional support.

This is in line with the EU’s long-term strategy to establish a permanent rescEU firefighting fleet hosted by Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain.

Ten additional firefighting planes are being purchased by Member States directly to reinforce their national fleets.

Welcoming the success of this coordinated effort by the Commission and Member States, Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, said: “This is a historic moment in European civil protection in this age of climate crisis. As wildfire seasons become longer, deadly and more unpredictable, we have been working tirelessly to bolster the EU’s firefighting response capacities. Today’s announcement proves that Europe is committed to strengthening and deepening these efforts. I want to thank all the Member States with whom we have worked to speed up the purchase of much-needed firefighting planes. Thanks to our collaboration, we are well on track with the timeline set by the European Commission to acquire a new, permanent fleet of firefighting aircraft of planes and helicopters.”

The estimated delivery of the first batch of these new planes is expected at the end of 2027.

Background

Wildfires have recently become a pan-European concern, and the fire risk is expected to further increase due to climate change.

The EU Civil Protection Mechanism coordinates pan-European assistance and ensures that all EU Member States and participating states to the Mechanism receive timely information in times of crises and emergencies.

Since 2019, the EU Civil Protection Mechanism has been progressively reinforced with the rescEU fleet, a European reserve that includes firefighting planes and helicopters and is 100% financed by the EU.

The EU funds will enable the acquisition of a total of 12 new firefighting planes, which will be distributed among six EU Member States (Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain), and a number of helicopters. These will become the ‘permanent rescEU fleet’. The first airplanes are expected to be delivered in 2027. A first batch of helicopters are expected to arrive in 2026.

| SWITZERLAND OFFERS REWARDS FOR REMOVING AMMUNITION FROM LAKES

For years, the Swiss military used lakes as dumping grounds for unused weapons and ammunition. Lakes such as Lucerne and Neuchâtel were favored spots for the Swiss army to dispose of their arms. Some of these munitions lie at depths ranging from 5 to 200 meters, depending on the body of water. In Lake Neuchâtel, for example, it is estimated that there could be more than 4,500 tonnes in total.
The government is offering up to 50,000 Swiss francs (approximately 52,000 euros) to anyone or any entity with an idea to safely remove these stockpiles. A competition will determine who is eligible for the reward, with the deadline for submissions set for February 2025.
The challenge is that any operation aimed at retrieving these munitions from the water carries significant risks of explosions. Many of the dumped munitions date back to between 1918 and 1964.

| UK SPACE COMMAND SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHES FIRST MILITARY SATELLITE 

Cutting-edge new satellite launched by UK Space Command to provide crucial space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.

A UK satellite to support military operations successfully launched into space.

Named Tyche, the satellite is UK Space Command’s first satellite which can capture daytime images and videos of the Earth’s surface.

The satellite will strengthen the UK’s Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities.

As the conflict in Ukraine has shown, the use of space is crucial to military operations. Tyche is the first satellite to be launched under the Ministry of Defence’s space-based ISR programme, which will deliver a constellation of satellites and supporting ground systems by 2031.

These satellites will not only support military operations, but also contribute to other government tasks, including natural disaster monitoring, the development of mapping information, environmental monitoring and tracking the impact of climate change around the world.

Designed and built in the UK through a £22 million contract awarded by Defence Equipment & Support to Surrey Satellites Technology Limited (SSTL), Tyche is the first satellite to be fully owned by the Ministry of Defence.

SSTL received the first signals from Tyche – which is comparable in size to a washing machine – a few hours after lift-off, confirming the successful launch.

Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry, Maria Eagle said:  

“Tyche will provide essential intelligence for military operations as well as supporting wider tasks across government.”

“Tyche also shows the UK’s commitment to support innovation in science and technology, stimulating growth across the sector and supporting highly skilled jobs in the UK.”

UK Space Commander, Major General Paul Tedman said:   

“This is a fabulous day for UK space. The successful launch of Tyche has shown that UK Space Command, and its essential partners across defence and industry, can rapidly take a concept through to the delivery of a satellite capability on orbit.”

“Tyche represents the first of a future constellation of Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance satellites that we’ll launch over the coming years.”

“I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate everybody involved with Tyche and thank them for their support.”

Tyche was launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, by SpaceX, on their re-usable Falcon 9 rocket, as part of the ‘Transporter 11’ mission.