UK sends washing machine-sized military satellite into orbit to give country a ‘new pair of eyes’

A new satellite launched has been described as giving the UK a 'new pair of eyes', even though the gizmo is about the same size as a washing machine.

While your washing machine can spin laundry around like nobody's business this thing is military observation satellite called Titania, which will orbit the planet and allow the military to have a clearer picture of what's going on below.

The probe was launched into space last month on a SpaceX craft and comes two years after a similar decide called Tyche was launched to make up part of the UK's Space Command.

If this is all sounding a bit sci-fi now it's just how our technologically advanced day and age goes, you need objects in space and therefore space itself becomes an important arena.

Yet to join the family are Juno and Oberon, making the names a reference to Greek and Roman mythology, as well as the characters of Shakespeare.

Titania is about the size of a washing machine, and its job is to monitor the Earth (BAE systems/ Ministry of Defence)

Titania will also move a lot faster than your washing machine as well, as it flies at around 27,000km/h and makes it around the Earth about once every 90 minutes.

Travelling around our planet 16 times a day, Titania will observe our planet very often.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Harv Smyth, the Chief of the Air Staff, said: “The ability to observe the Earth from space is critical to both national resilience and military advantage.

"This will be demonstrated by Tyche and Titania, alongside Juno and Oberon in the years ahead.

“We will monitor these vital satellites using state-of-the-art technology around the world, including our Inaros sensors – to ensure our Armed Forces can fight and win wherever they are."

Air Chief Marshal Sir Harv Smyth says space is a strategically important area (Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Inaros is a project to monitor space from three places on the Earth, and Air Chief Marshal Smyth had previously said that space is 'a warfighting domain whether we like that or not'.

He has said that part of his job is to 'disrupt, degrade and deny hostile activity' even outside the confines of our planet.

Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said: “The new space age is here. Space underpins everything from weather forecasts and financial transactions to sat-navs and mobile phone connections, and it is critical for our national security and military operations.

“Having Titania now in orbit and Project Inaros stepping up how we watch over our satellites means we can see threats sooner, making the UK safer.

“Titania and Inaros are British-built and British-designed, backed by more than £3 billion of investment in space capabilities. That means highly skilled jobs across the UK, a stronger industrial base, and a more secure United Kingdom.”