A huge £2.1m support package from the UK Space Agency will boost UK-based solar technologies, including solar power for reusable spacecraft and new propulsion systems.
UK-based solar technologies are the first area of focus of the Enabling Technologies Programme. This is part of the National Space Innovation Programme that supports UK companies breaking ground in technologies to enhance spaceflight capabilities.
The £2.1m will be divided between nine projects and will be followed by a series of funding rounds open to commercial businesses, academia and non-profit organisations.
These organisations are all promising cutting-edge technologies that will take UK space capabilities to new heights.
UK-based solar technologies will propel the industry to new heights
Growing the UK space sector and the wider economy by supporting experts and organisations across the country is a National Space Strategy priority.
Last year, the UK Space Agency awarded £71m for new technologies that helped smaller businesses develop new ideas and products that will reduce reliance on non-European nations for space capabilities.
Moreover, the funding brought new and emerging areas, such as space-based solar power, to the forefront of the industry.
Craig Brown, UK Space Agency Director of Investment, commented: “These projects showcase the diversity of skills in space-related science and engineering that are growing all over the UK.
“We are supporting innovations in emerging and new areas of space technology, such as UK-based solar technologies, extreme ultraviolet Integral Field Spectroscopy, electrothermal propulsion, and more.
“This ensures that the UK stays at the forefront of global advances in space, generating more business opportunities and inspiring more people about the many career options that this thriving sector offers.”
Those awarded funding include Wales-based Space Forge’s Project Helios, which is developing a retractable solar array. They have partnered with Microlink Devices, which will power returnable spacecraft and enable in-orbit servicing to prolong the life of other satellites in space.
A team at Durham University will also receive support to develop image slicer technology. This is a world-first integral field spectrograph in the extreme ultraviolet, which will transform our observations of the Sun and high-energy astrophysics.
The projects
Lancaster University
£240,000 has been awarded to Lancaster, which will develop E-band travelling wave tubes for high throughput satellites. This will enable 5G and 6G high data transmission.
Surrey Space Centre
Surrey will use £250,000 of the funding to develop a new electrothermal propulsion system. This is important for UK-based solar technologies, as it will enhance in-orbit servicing, manufacturing, and spacecraft manoeuvring.
Swansea University
This project develops key technologies, including nanoparticle sourcing, conditioning, and optical trapping, to enable levitated optomechanics for large mass fundamental quantum mechanics experiments and inertial and space environment sensing.
University of Strathclyde
Strathclyde is working on the development of integration of UV micro-LEDs to enable compact, low-power, robust sources for satellite quantum key distribution. This will support space technology for encrypted communications.
Durham University
This project will develop metal optics, enabling higher performance, more compact, instrument concepts for Earth Observation and for exploration missions.
Moreover, Durham will also explore image slicer technology in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV). This will develop the first EUV integral field spectrograph that could enable observations of the Sun and advance high-energy astrophysics.
University of Southampton
£240,000 has been awarded to Southampton to develop silicon photonic beam pointing for free space optical communications.
This is important for UK-based space technologies, as fully solid-state communications will be developed through a novel beam steering chip.
Space Forge
Space Forge is spearheading UK-based solar technologies through the development of a deployable and retractable solar array for use within a returnable spacecraft and to enable in-orbit servicing.
Imperial College London
Imperial College is using £200,000 to develop a cold spray metal additive to help in-orbit servicing, manufacturing, and exploration missions.
