Engineering news
Clyde Space is to provide the satellites for a £1.5 million pilot programme offering quick, regular and more affordable access to space.
The Glasgow-based space technology company announced it has been commissioned by the Satellite Applications Catapult and Innovate UK to build four CubeSats for the project. Clyde Space produces small satellite, nanosatellite and CubeSat systems – fully functional satellites that ‘piggy-back’ on other launches to minimise costs and boost the commercial viability of space research.
The four satellites for the pilot will eventually be launched from the International Space Station (ISS) in an ‘in-orbit demonstration’ (IOD) of various technical and business propositions, which Clyde Space said have a high projected return on investment.
It is currently building around six flight-ready CubeSats a month for customers primarily in Europe and the United States, where the company recently formed a subsidiary, Clyde Space Inc, to take advantage of the rapidly growing US market.
The satellites being built for Catapult will be used to offer ‘flight-proven’ CubeSat platforms and regular launch opportunities from the ISS.
Craig Clark, founder of Clyde Space, said: “The Satellite Applications Catapult In-Orbit Demonstration programme is an exciting opportunity for the UK space sector and one which Clyde Space is delighted to support. Our CubeSats will deliver highly capable, reliable platforms which will enable the demonstration of new and advanced space applications as part of the IoD project. These applications and subsequent data generation could benefit a number of industries from agriculture and energy to the government for town planning.”
Stuart Martin, chief executive of the Satellite Applications Catapult, said: “This IOD pilot programme offers a great opportunity for the whole UK space industry and marks another major milestone on its continued journey and ambition to become a global player in the sector.”
Clyde Space, which designed, manufactured and launched Scotland’s first satellite,
UKube-1, in 2014 and recently acquired additional floor space at its headquarters at Skypark in Glasgow to meet increased demand for its products.
In just over a year the Clyde Space team has more than doubled to 80 staff members and is expected to increase to 100 this year. The recruitment will bolster spacecraft development, manufacturing, business development and back-office functions.
Clark said the demand for mass-produced spacecraft and systems was driving the company’s rapid growth and is making Clyde Space a global leader in the design and manufacture of CubeSats.