UK Space Facilities Thermal-Vacuum

Thermal-Vacuum

Airbus Defence & Space – Portsmouth Site

The Airbus Portsmouth site has a very extensive range of space development and test facilities which effectively constitute a one-stop-shop for many of its own programmes.

Airbus DS Stevenage

The Airbus Stevenage site has an extensive range of space development and test facilities which effectively constitute a one-stop-shop for many of its own programmes.

Cardiff University

The AIG has excellent facilities, potentially available to external users. AIG has significant experience of collaboration with industry and research institutions in the UK and abroad.

Centre for Advanced Instrumentation – Durham University

Durham has been at the cutting edge of space research for many years and has an outstanding reputation in space science.

ESR Technologies

ESR Technology is active in a range of markets covering space and terrestrial industries and specialises in tribology, the field of engineering related to friction, wear and lubrication.

Filtronic design, manufacture and test high-performance RF, microwave and mmWave components and sub-systems for challenging applications

Honeywell (formerly COM DEV) - Aylesbury and Edinburgh

Honeywell (COM DEV) is generally well-equipped for its own purposes and can access those external facilities needed to support its RF component, subsystem manufacturing and test activities.

Imperial College - London

Both the Magnetometer Calibration Facility and the EOCF are world class calibration facilities able to support a full range of active characterisation projects for Blackett Laboratory physicists.

National Satellite Test Facility

Newton Launch Systems

SME dedicated to the development of innovative space technology and providing the facilities for others to do likewise. Newton has teamed up with the Snowdonia Aerospace Centre to provide a range of test facilities at Llanbedr airfield.

As part of the Science and Technology Facilities Council, it is clearly part of RAL Space’s mission to provide world-class space development and test facilities for the UK space community.

TS-Space Systems

TS-Space Systems is a well established UK physics group that has been supporting the aerospace industry through their test services and products since 1984.

University College London, Mullard Space Science Laboratory (MSSL)

MSSL's facilities are mainly used for internal purposes, but there is some spare capacity to support external customers under usual commercial arrangements.

University of Leicester Space Research Centre (SRC) & Space Park Leicester

The SRC’s facilities have a transient loading and are in principle available for use by external customers - the University has demonstrated experience in accommodating external work, with appropriate planning

University of Oxford - Department of Physics

The Department’s environmental test facilities are adequate for its in-house programmes. The facilities are available for use by external customers, subject to appropriate planning and commercial terms.

University of Southampton – Astronautics Group

The Astronautics Group has excellent facilities to support its space systems engineering activities and its in-house research interests and developments in both electric and chemical propulsion.

University of Southampton – Plasma and Space Science Group

The Plasma and Space Science Group has excellent facilities to support its in-house research interests and developments in electric propulsion.

Vacuum bakeout facility

The bake-out facility comprises a stainless steel oil-free vacuum chamber with radiative and conductive heating elements to ensure even heating of hardware in the vacuum volume, instrumented with a residual gas anayser and TQCM monitor.