The UK is looking into deploying a remote sensing system, rather than relying on outside providers.

The new space minister, David Willets, has said he will study the feasibility of providing Britain with an independent remote sensing capability according to Aviation Week.

The system would probably be based on EADS’ Paradigm’s Skynet 5 satellite telecom system, which provides secure communications to British armed forces on a private funding basis.

However, a public-private partnership similar to Germany’s TerraSAR-X/Tandem-X system, in which the government funds a portion of the capability directly, also could be considered, Willets told the magazine.

The UK government currently funds an experimental optical spacecraft – Topsat – but has no full-fledged operational Earth observation capability of its own.