UKSA Invests in Westcott’s In-Orbit Servicing and Manufacturing Hub

The UK Space Agency (UKSA) is investing in the development of in-orbit servicing technology to prolong the life of satellites. The Satellite Applications Catapult’s In-Orbit Servicing and Manufacturing (IOSM) facility at the Westcott Space Cluster in Aylesbury will receive a £2 million upgrade to provide unique capabilities for companies to verify, validate, and demonstrate various in-orbit operations, including manufacturing, servicing, inspection, repair, and assembly.

In addition, the Catapult will allocate £1.5 million to feasibility studies on refuelling satellites in space. This initiative aims to extend the lifespan of satellites and reduce space debris. Andrew Griffith MP, Minister for Space at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, emphasized the importance of addressing space debris and maintaining ease of navigation in space to support future exploration and protect essential services such as location and financial services, weather forecasting, and broadband.

The UK’s IOSM facility at the Space Cluster will become the first in the country capable of verifying, validating, and demonstrating in-orbit operations. The upgrade will expand core capabilities and enable dynamic tracking, real-time positioning, a gravity off-load system, and an enhanced orbital simulation environment. The introduction of increased digital twin capabilities will benefit in-orbit simulation robots, allowing testing in the virtual world.

To support the UK's efforts for space sustainability, three new refuelling feasibility studies have been commissioned. Astroscale, ClearSpace, and Orbit Fab have been awarded contracts for these studies. Astroscale will adapt their existing 'COSMIC' debris removal spacecraft to develop a new refuelling servicer product. ClearSpace will draw on their existing 'CLEAR' debris removal mission for their 'REFUEL.ME' mission extension. Orbit Fab will leverage their unique Rapidly Attachable Fuel Transfer Interface (RAFTI) and the Grappling and Resupply Active Solution for Propellants (GRASP) to develop the 'RAFTEA' mission.

The UKSA highlights the growing issue of space debris, with approximately 37,000 pieces measuring over 10cm and an estimated one million pieces sized between 1-10cm currently in orbit. The IOSM sector is projected to be worth £11 billion globally by 2031, and the UKSA aims to capture at least 25% of this market.

Source: Example News