Founded in 2005, AAC Clyde Space is an award winning British SME that has grown to become a leading supplier of nanosatellite and small satellite technologies. It is renowned for its extensive heritage, cutting-edge products, and robust management approach within the nanosatellite and small-satellite market, in particular in the CubeSat area of nanosatellites. AAC Clyde Space hardware supports 40% of all CubeSat missions and AAC Clyde Space is regarded to have more hardware in space than any other small satellite provider. It designed and manufactured Scotland’s first satellite, UKube-1, commissioned by the UK Space Agency. Launched in July 2014 it has now successfully completed its mission, and has helped AAC Clyde Space grow to the point of constructing an average of 6 spacecraft per month.
AAC Clyde Space supports space missions at all levels, from conceptual design, development, integration, testing, through to launch and on-orbit operations, enabling a truly ‘turn-key’ mission offering. The AAC Clyde Space product offering has two halves: its off-the-shelf products consisting of subsystems and full platforms, available at the click-of-a-button, and its bespoke solutions, which are designed specifically to meet its customers’ requirements. These range from tailor-made subsystems to full mission design, integration and test.
AAC Clyde Space’s in-house facilities are fully committed to its own extensive manufacturing and test programmes and so the company does not offer stand-alone testing services, instead primarily offering these as subsets of larger programmes. The main testing elements still performed at external facilities are EMC testing, radiation testing, and environmental testing of solar panels for larger spacecraft.
The low-cost philosophy behind nanosatellites drives a need for a cost reduction in environmental testing compared to the more traditional approach to space; in addition to expanding their own facilities, AAC Clyde Space is working to establish a network of external test facilities prepared to address this market need.
