Smiths Interconnect Secures UK Space Agency Funding for its Space Qualification Laboratory

Smiths Interconnect Secures UK Space Agency Funding for its Space Qualification Laboratory

Smiths Interconnect announced that it has received £1,907,065 in funding from the UK Space Agency through its ‘Space Clusters Infrastructure Fund’ (SCIF). The funding will be used by Smiths Interconnect to enhance its Space Qualification Laboratory, a cutting-edge facility in Dundee that simulates the extreme conditions of space – one of the harshest environments known to humankind – to assure the quality and durability of space components. 

From simulating the extreme vibration and shock environment of launch to surviving the extreme temperature swings experienced during space flight, the lab has a full range of capabilities in which it will be investing substantially through the SCIF grant.

A key goal for Smiths Interconnect is to reduce both the time-to-market and cost of manufacturing of its radio frequency (RF) and optical components. This will be enabled by developing new, in-house digital manufacturing capabilities and scaling up production through the automation of manufacturing processes, assembly, and testing of products. RF and optical components are essential components for space exploration providing critical communication and data transfer capabilities in deep space.

Julian Fagge, President of Smiths Interconnect, said: “Ongoing investment in the UK space sector in recent years is helping the country to become a global leader in space. Our work in Dundee aims to create unrivaled design, prototyping, and manufacturing capacity coupled with an open-innovation space qualification testing lab, serving a key market need and strengthening our national space capabilities further. We are grateful to the UK Space Agency for supporting us in our mission.”

Dr Paul Bate, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, said: “It’s exciting to see the emergence and growth of vibrant space clusters across Scotland and the whole of the UK. Smiths Interconnect’s Space Qualification Laboratory in Dundee is a significant facility, capable of simulating the extreme conditions of space, cutting costs for manufacturers, and speeding up the time it takes to get new products and components to market, and into space. It is a brilliant demonstration of the potential of our thriving space sector to develop innovative infrastructure that helps us to deliver increasingly ambitious missions and capabilities. “The Space Clusters Infrastructure Fund highlights the government’s commitment to space and will help deliver the goal set out in the National Space Strategy to build one of the most innovative and attractive space economies in the world, developing new skills and creating jobs.”

UK Government minister for Scotland, John Lamont, said: “The Scottish space sector continues to go from strength to strength with the latest figures showing an almost £40 million increase in income and more than 100 new, highly-skilled jobs with support from the UK Government. This new funding from the UK Space Agency will boost Scottish expertise based in Dundee working on infrastructure and digital fabrication, helping to maintain UK leadership in this sector.”

Through the UKSA SCIF funding, Smiths Interconnect plans to make its lab available to other UK space companies, particularly within the UK’s space clusters – areas of the country where the UK’s space industry is flourishing – enabling them to utilize these high-quality space testing and qualification capabilities. To date, Smiths Interconnect’s Space Qualification Laboratory has completed more than 50 space component test and qualification campaigns, and Smiths Interconnect Dundee has a long heritage of serving the international space sector, including contributing to the following:

  • 45 – Total number of deep space missions in which Smiths Interconnect in Dundee has been involved
  • ~223,000 – Total number of Smiths Interconnect parts supplied for spacecraft
  • 21-25bn hours – Estimated operational time Smiths Interconnect’s products have spent in space
  • 17-21bn km – Estimated distance Smiths Interconnect’s products have traveled in space
  • 20+ years – Longest mission program to which Smiths Interconnect’s products have contributed (Cassini/Huygens)
  • 0 – Smiths Interconnect product failures in space.

Click here to learn more about Smiths Interconnect Space products on SATNow.

Publisher: SatNow

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beidou

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BeiDou-3 G4Geostationary Orbit (GEO)17 May, 2023
BeiDou-3 G2Geostationary Orbit (GEO)09 Mar, 2020
Compass-IGSO7Inclined Geosynchronous Orbit (IGSO)09 Feb, 2020
BeiDou-3 M19Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)16 Dec, 2019
BeiDou-3 M20Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)16 Dec, 2019
BeiDou-3 M21Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)23 Nov, 2019
BeiDou-3 M22Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)23 Nov, 2019
BeiDou-3 I3Inclined Geosynchronous Orbit (IGSO)04 Nov, 2019
BeiDou-3 M23Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)22 Sep, 2019
BeiDou-3 M24Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)22 Sep, 2019

galileo

Satellite NameOrbit Date
GSAT0223MEO - Near-Circular05 Dec, 2021
GSAT0224MEO - Near-Circular05 Dec, 2021
GSAT0219MEO - Near-Circular25 Jul, 2018
GSAT0220MEO - Near-Circular25 Jul, 2018
GSAT0221MEO - Near-Circular25 Jul, 2018
GSAT0222MEO - Near-Circular25 Jul, 2018
GSAT0215MEO - Near-Circular12 Dec, 2017
GSAT0216MEO - Near-Circular12 Dec, 2017
GSAT0217MEO - Near-Circular12 Dec, 2017
GSAT0218MEO - Near-Circular12 Dec, 2017

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Kosmos 2569--07 Aug, 2023
Kosmos 2564--28 Nov, 2022
Kosmos 2559--10 Oct, 2022
Kosmos 2557--07 Jul, 2022
Kosmos 2547--25 Oct, 2020
Kosmos 2545--16 Mar, 2020
Kosmos 2544--11 Dec, 2019
Kosmos 2534--27 May, 2019
Kosmos 2529--03 Nov, 2018
Kosmos 2527--16 Jun, 2018

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Satellite NameOrbit Date
Navstar 82Medium Earth Orbit19 Jan, 2023
Navstar 81Medium Earth Orbit17 Jun, 2021
Navstar 78Medium Earth Orbit22 Aug, 2019
Navstar 77Medium Earth Orbit23 Dec, 2018
Navstar 76Medium Earth Orbit05 Feb, 2016
Navstar 75Medium Earth Orbit31 Oct, 2015
Navstar 74Medium Earth Orbit15 Jul, 2015
Navstar 73Medium Earth Orbit25 Mar, 2015
Navstar 72Medium Earth Orbit29 Oct, 2014
Navstar 71Medium Earth Orbit02 Aug, 2014

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Satellite NameOrbit Date
NVS-01Geostationary Orbit (GEO)29 May, 2023
IRNSS-1IInclined Geosynchronous Orbit (IGSO)12 Apr, 2018
IRNSS-1HSub Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (Sub-GTO)31 Aug, 2017
IRNSS-1GGeostationary Orbit (GEO)28 Apr, 2016
IRNSS-1FGeostationary Orbit (GEO)10 Mar, 2016
IRNSS-1EGeosynchronous Orbit (IGSO)20 Jan, 2016
IRNSS-1DInclined Geosynchronous Orbit (IGSO)28 Mar, 2015
IRNSS-1CGeostationary Orbit (GEO)16 Oct, 2014
IRNSS-1BInclined Geosynchronous Orbit (IGSO)04 Apr, 2014
IRNSS-1AInclined Geosynchronous Orbit (IGSO)01 Jul, 2013