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Innovation in Space

Innovation in Space

Innovation in space Summary of an event held on 14 March 2016 at the Royal Academy of in space Summary of an event held on 14 March 2016 at the Royal Academy of Engineering

Contents

1. Foreword 2

2. Space and space 3

3. The UK in space 5

4. Current and future space 8

5. Space-enabled services 13

6. The business of innovation in space 17 Front cover photo: Galileo formation © OHB System AG 7. Further reading and information 21 © Royal Academy of Engineering Cutout photo: Clyde Space’s 1U July 2016 8. Acknowledgements 22 Outernet Platform will send www.raeng.org.uk/space emergency weather warnings, Royal Academy of Engineering medical advice, as well as news and Prince Philip House information to users 3 Carlton House Terrace for free. Each CubeSat will receive London SW1Y 5DG data streams from a network of Tel: 020 7766 0600 ground stations and the data will then www.raeng.org.uk be transmitted to the user’s hand-held devices on the ground Registered Charity Number: 293074 © Clyde Space c2 Royal Academy of Engineering Innovation in space 1 is an inherent part of the response to the key challenges currently facing mankind

1. Foreword 2. Space and space technology

In just two generations, space has moved from being the stuff of dreams through the phase of pioneering excitement to be an Over the past four years, the Royal Academy of Engineering has held essential and regular part of the infrastructure. Chairing the event, a series of half-day conferences to showcase UK within Professor Sir Martin Sweeting OBE FREng FRS, the founder and engineering sectors that have potential for growth and for global reach. executive chairman of SSTL, Surrey Technology Ltd, said This Innovation in… series has covered such sectors as aerospace and that the overriding feature of current space technology was the automotive, , agritech and cross-sectoral technologies such wide range of applications where the impact of space was felt: from as autonomous systems. communications to and from the observation of climate The conference at the Academy on 14 March 2016 tackled space and space change to disaster prediction and relief. technology, an in its own right, but also an enabling technology for many other branches of business and science. It attracted engineers Sir Martin said that space technology and economic growth in parts of and business people from industry, academia and beyond to hear a series was an inherent part of the response the world that earthbound systems of presentations on the opportunities where the UK in particular is making to the key challenges currently struggle to reach. a significant and increasing contribution to the international exploitation facing humankind, including the of space. demographic realities of an ageing But future space technologies are also population, food production and going to rely on the development of This report is not intended to be a verbatim record of the conference, water supply, and the fight current innovative systems on , which was recorded for the Royal Academy of Engineering’s . against terrorism, the monitoring of Sir Martin said. For example, many Rather, it seeks to identify the technologies where there is potential environmental change and the use applications were based on advances for growth, the applications that are taking advantage of them, and of natural resources. Technologies in microelectronics coming out of the business factors that could help or hinder UK involvement. The aim delivered from space have the the consumer , is to promote further discussion, both within the Royal Academy of potential to be available to all and and processes to Engineering and beyond. thus to kick start wealth generation make large numbers of spacecraft for

Photo: EDRS-C, the second node of the European Data Relay System (EDRS). EDRS is designed to transmit data between low Earth orbiting and the EDRS payloads in geostationary orbit using innovative laser communication technology © ESA

22 Royal Royal Academy Academy of of Engineering Engineering Innovation in space 3 ‘constellation’ applications depended highly costly in the past using There is already a largely hidden but substantial on ideas borrowed from other conventional techniques. That means £11 billion UK that employs around industries where series production new technologies in terms of new had helped to cut costs significantly. kinds of launchers and facilities, 80,000 people directly and indirectly but also new and more open ways The space community had previously of doing space business. Sir Martin thought in terms of one-off or commented that new technologies small numbers of satellites: “The such as air-breathing engines may constellation concept means we need change the economics of space, but to change how we think in space,” he will require significant investment said. And in parallel the sheer number and he welcomed the initiative of spacecraft and applications for around the UK that is due them demanded a rethink in terms for 2018. of access to space, which has been 3. The UK in space

SKYLON in . SKYLON is a single stage to orbit space plane designed to be powered by Synergistic Air-Breathing Engines (SABRE). © Reaction Engines Ltd SSTL, Sir Martin Sweeting’s company which was a spin-out from the satellite research at the of Surrey, is an acknowledged worldwide leader in the development of small satellites for scientific missions. The UK has also long been an important part of the wider European space industry, satellites and other components for both military and civilian missions. In addition, there is a very strong UK involvement in the scientific instrument business and in satellite communications, where deployment in space has become regular practice and UK companies are world leaders.

So, although the UK has had until space was identified by the UK now a fairly limited success rate in government as one of the ‘Eight the more highly-publicised parts of Great Technologies’ for the future, what used to be termed the ‘space a driver of innovation, technology, race’, the other aspects mean that applications and new businesses. there is already a largely hidden The current UK government has but substantial £11 billion UK space continued the work started by industry that employs around 80,000 the previous one under the Space people directly and indirectly. Innovation and Growth Strategy (IGS), which calls for a programme of More than that, however, satellites co-ordinated action to establish the and commercial applications of UK firmly as a leading space nation

4 Royal Academy of Engineering Innovation in space 5 The UK in space

Sentinel-1B heading for orbit © ESA/ATG medialab

and to grow the UK share of the global fundamental shift from the early market to a target of 10%. days of space and the-then dominated by the US and The potential rewards are significant. the former and by UK space activity measured in . While the initial economic terms grew by 9% a tentative steps into space were taken year between 1999 and 2007; the by governments and by government downturn of recent years has barely agencies such as the European Space dented the growth, and Sir Martin Agency, public funding of space Sweeting told the Royal Academy has been declining worldwide and of Engineering conference that the commercial interests in sectors such sector was still seeing increases of as communications and science are 7% a year, four times the national now dominant and expanding fast. average. Within the 20-year plan put Allied with technology changes that forward under the IGS up to 2030, increase the viability of smaller-scale there are estimates for a further projects, the space industry of the 100,000 UK jobs to come directly or future is likely to be a much more indirectly from the business of space. broadly-based sector in terms of its players, and it is also an area where One of the factors behind optimism smaller companies can now make for UK growth in the sector is a an impact.

Acquired by NigeriaSat-2 a few days before the Olympics 2012, this image shows the East End of the city of London including the Olympic Park to the North of the Thames, London City Airport, London’s flood defence – the Thames Barrier, and the Millenium Dome © NASRDA

6 Royal Academy of Engineering Innovation in space 7 Current and future space technologies

The question of how to miniaturise avionics to achieve the same level of reliability and functionality in ever smaller spacecraft is key

4. Current and future space technologies

STRaND-1 smartphone nanosatellite. Space researchers at the University of Surrey’s Surrey Space Centre and SSTL developed this 3U CubeSat containing a smartphone payload that used advanced commercial off-the-shelf components © SSTL/Surrey Space Centre Three of the key and overlapping applications for space technology under remote control in the tough requirements too. Carbonite-1 has a are in the fields of earth observation, communications and physical conditions of space. terabyte of data storage on-board, fundamental science. But many of the technology and innovation and decisions have to be made early challenges that space technology companies face are related to The Carbonite-1 earth observation about data collection, storage and problems that would also be very familiar to earthbound engineering trial that SSTL launched as a transmission, Mr Wood said. The businesses. There is constant pressure on costs; there are demands to technology demonstrator is an question of how to miniaturise shorten the product development cycle and the time to launch; there example of this. The satellite, avionics to achieve the same level are contrasting and at times conflicting requirements both for series deployed as an 80kg package in of reliability and functionality in production of satellites and for customisation to meet individual a ‘gap’ among other commercial ever smaller spacecraft is key, and needs in terms of payloads and platforms; and there are ever more payloads in a rocket launch, uses a trends elsewhere to merge cyber sophisticated instrumentation systems for detecting and measuring. COTS high-definition camera and and physical systems and to digitise telescope combination. Because previously analogue functions the satellite was ‘hitching a ride’ through application-specific chips Developing satellite capabilities centre around missions to the , alongside other commercial satellite and programmable systems are planets and asteroids and rendezvous deployments, the test orbit is not also likely to find uses in space CEO Patrick Wood outlined SSTL’s in-orbit. ideal, but the trial has proved that, technology. diverse set of satellite payload in a more conventional lower earth capabilities and described the The cost challenges, said Patrick orbit, Carbonite-1 would be able to Many of these issues are also development of a series of platforms Wood, mean that satellite builders achieve a 1m resolution on ground concerns for Airbus Defence and that can flexibly accommodate are increasingly looking to use objects. Thus emboldened, SSTL Space, which last year became different payloads. SSTL’s missions commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) is now working on a Carbonite-2 the world’s largest supplier of the range across communications and equipment for missions, and that version which will weigh just 50kg communications satellites which go optical missions, the latter with in turn means there is a new and and achieve a 50cm resolution. into geostationary orbit. James Hinds, increasingly high resolution, to novel different kind of proving and testing Director of Strategy Development, types of mission such as orbital to be done to ensure that technology Cost and convenience are issues in Space Systems, told the Academy maintenance. Its future ambitions that uses standard parts will work space technology, but there are other conference that the dominant driver

8 Royal Academy of Engineering Innovation in space 9 Current and future space technologies

The use of communications satellites only dates back 50 years or so, but it has already seen capacity leap from the ability to handle single telephone calls to today’s multi-stranded telecommunications and traffic

for his business was the need to spacecraft are deployed along a increase capacity to handle the ever single orbit to provide significantly greater bandwidth that was required. augmented capacity, or alternatively additive manufacturing in space. The use of communications satellites Some also is likely to come through only dates back 50 years or so, but changes in launcher technology, it has already seen capacity leap with electric propulsion, for example, from the ability to handle single offering greater flexibility in terms of telephone calls to today’s multi- payloads. stranded telecommunications and internet traffic. Now, Mr Hinds said, future requirements from universal investment at Airbus – with national connectivity, the Internet of Things government and EU support – has and the resultant ‘big data’ point to therefore had to be on a very broad accelerating demand, and there are front, with issues ranging from extra complications with the need digital technologies and SWaP (Size, to deliver signals to mobile targets, Weight and Power) performance such as the developing technology through to the process and logistics in connected cars and unmanned work associated with the different aerial . There is a need to goals of series production and revisit core business models so that customisation. So alongside the new requirements are delivered specific technologies associated at the right cost. At the same time, with communications infrastructure the whole market is evolving and and with spacecraft, there is a the infrastructure to support its need to embrace concepts such as development is emerging: customers lean and product re- are expecting the acquisition cost to engineering as well. be reduced, shorter lifecycles, and the use of capacity to adapt over Technologies for space science ExoMars 2018 Rover. The ExoMars Rover provides key mission capabilities including surface mobility, subsurface drilling and time, he said. missions automatic sample collection, processing, and to instruments © ESA

Some of the extra capacity can be If there are diverse demands within squeezed into satellites through the the satellite communications instrumentation, with the hardware Other technologies include deep improvement of digital processors business, then the same is true and software of autonomous cryogenic space technologies to and optical links, providing “more also in space science missions, Paul devices such as rovers, and with the deal with extremes of temperature, data capacity per slice”. And some Eccleston, the Chief Engineer at RAL technology not just of launching deployable structures that allow of it will also be delivered through Space, said. The technologies that are spacecraft but also of enabling them systems that cannot be launched to ‘disruptive’ concepts such as the relevant to current missions and in to land safely on a planet, a moon be built in space and high-stability so-called constellations of satellites, which the UK has strengths include or a comet, and then to adjust and structures that remain correctly where large numbers of identical those associated with detectors and optimise their positions once landed. aligned.

10 Royal Academy of Engineering Innovation in space 11 The has set have potential applications in Universal internet access will also potentially unlock out some broad themes for space terrestrial science too. For example, new markets in the delivery of medical services and science beyond the next 10 years autonomous systems being in its ‘cosmic vision’ – they range developed for rover vehicles on the , in teleconferencing and in the provision of from exploring fundamental laws of Moon or Mars have applications government services physics and the conditions for the for earthbound businesses such as evolution of the universe and of life agritech, he said. through to observation of how the solar system actually works. Sir Martin concluded the session on space technologies by outlining his While established detector vision of the future. He anticipated technologies are evolving that there would be increasing incrementally, completely new international cooperation as new detector technologies are also nations became active in space, and 5. Space-enabled emerging such as longwave infrared more cross-fertilisation of ideas. and Terahertz systems that would There would be increased pressure enable new science to be done, on how the human-machine-satellite services Mr Eccleston said. Concepts such interfaces would be managed to as formation flying of satellites make them as effective as possible. or using the solar winds as a Finally the competing requirements system have of reducing feature size, increasing Not all space innovation happens in space. Developments in satellite applications only in space, but speed and reducing power would and spacecraft technologies are encouraging terrestrial businesses to other ideas, such as using laser catalyse the development of systems think about new services, or about existing services delivered in new systems for communications and at electron/photon level or even aspects of quantum technologies, biologically-based systems. ways. The meeting heard about three examples.

Satellite constellations for global UK, where there is a well-developed broadband terrestrial infrastructure, 50% of smaller businesses complain that OneWeb is a satellite communications broadband is inadequate. OneWeb concept that is set to take advantage intends to deploy 648 low-earth- of the work done on satellite orbit satellites on 18 polar circuits miniaturisation, digitisation by 2020 to give instant access with of communications and series latency of less than 50 microseconds production of spacecraft by groups worldwide. From an initial satellite such as SSTL and Airbus. The aim, capacity of 7.5 Gbps per satellite, the said Vice-President of Regulatory global constellation can bring to bear Affairs Dr Tony Azzarelli, is to build a up to 5 Tbps of new capacity, and the network of earth-orbiting satellites operator has formed a joint venture to provide global broadband services. with Airbus Defence and Space at a plant in the US that will produce 900 Currently, Dr Azzarelli said, 54% of one-cubic-metre satellites. the world has inadequate access to broadband or no access in any form, OneWeb’s innovation is on several and even in countries such as the levels. The delivery of the innovative Proba-3 formation-flying. Proba-3 is the world’s first precision formation-flying mission. A pair of satellites will fly together maintaining a fixed configuration as a ‘large rigid structure’ in space to prove formation-flying technologies © ESA - P. Carril, 2013

12 Royal Academy of Engineering Innovation in space 13 Space-enabled services

OneWeb satellite constellation © OneWeb ESA’s Sway4edu2 system brings rural schools online via satcoms. The setup provides access to eLearning for teachers and students, media content and other online monitoring tools and information © ESA

overall system is reliant on a novel communications – between vehicles, European non-military system called smartphone applications, and there business plan that has raised $500 for example – and disaster relief. Galileo is being rolled out and is due to will be extensions of many of these million and involves world-leading But it will also potentially unlock become operational during 2016. into areas such as telehealth as businesses, such as Qualcomm, new markets in the delivery of wearable devices develop. Airbus, Intelsat and Virgin, as medical services and education, in Defence is still a core application, partners and shareholders. The teleconferencing and in the provision but there are now much wider Dr Dixon saw a much broader group has the required satellite of government services. possibilities for navigation and opportunity in autonomous filings with the International location-based services in terms of machines, from driverless vehicles Telecommunications Union that intelligent systems, the through to robotic weeding in gives it access to the necessary Opportunities in location services tracking of devices and people, and agriculture, and new ideas are spectrum, and launch deals with and earth observation the increasing market for machine being developed through the Ariane and Virgin to put its satellites services that is being enhanced Catapult. There remains, however, into orbit. And it is sponsoring Dr Chaz Dixon, Technical Director by the universal connectedness a big challenge: the difficulty of technology developments in of Position, Navigation and Timing of the Internet of Things. The delivering services indoors, an satellite miniaturisation and series at the UK’s Satellite Applications current markets are dominated by issue that navigation and location production. Catapult, outlined some of the work that is going on in location services But a lot of the innovation, Dr delivered by space technology. The There are now much wider possibilities for navigation and location- Azzarelli said, will come with what first satellite-based positioning the system will enable when it is systems were driven by defence based services in terms of intelligent transport systems, the tracking up and running. Universal internet needs – the American GPS system and of devices and people, and the increasing market for machine services access will facilitate already- the Russian GLONASS have been fully that is being enhanced by the universal connectedness of the Internet identified markets for mobile operational since the mid 1990’s. A of Things

14 Royal Academy of Engineering Innovation in space 15 technology share with mobile There was a business conundrum There is a need to consider the utility of the innovation telecommunications. in this area, she said, affecting both and be clear about how technology will be used in a the space missions producing earth There are different challenges for exploration data and the companies different way innovation in other potential space- hoping to exploit the data. Data derived services too. Dr Samantha usage from publicly-funded missions Lavender, director of the Pixalytics had increased significantly when the space technology consultancy and data had been made free of charge, chairman of the British Association of but the number of government- Remote Sensing Companies, said that sponsored missions was always likely she was very enthusiastic about the to be limited, and particularly so expansion of earth observation data when there was little or no prospect now available and the increasing of a return on the investment. At ease of both handling the data and the same time, however, innovative 6. The business of extracting information from it. small companies needed a workable But she was concerned that, where business model to enable them to large-scale earth observation develop profitable services that innovation in space projects had, until now, largely could encourage future investment. been government-funded, most Innovation in this area was not just of the users of the data were small about the technology, but about businesses and many of them were the whole business climate in the The conference concluded with a panel discussion that ranged losing money. exploitation of science. over innovation, technology and business issues affecting the development and uptake of ideas derived from space. Panel members brought a broad range of expertise from different viewpoints to the discussion.

Some of the contributions addressed as such, but about meeting end-user directly Dr Lavender’s concerns needs. about the business model for innovative companies in space. This point about aligning technology Professor Paul Monks, Professor of to market needs was followed up Atmospheric Chemistry and Earth during the discussion. Catherine Observation Science at the University Mealing-Jones, Director for Growth at of Leicester, saw twin challenges the UK Space Agency, said that there in the development of space- was a need to consider the utility of enabled services – recognising the the innovation and be clear about opportunities and then constructing how technology will be used in a a value chain from them. Craig Clark, different way even before engaging CEO of the successful small satellite the end-user: some innovations developer Clyde Space, which is needed to be better at saying how actively targeting customers wanting they were actually going to be useful data and data products, said that the to customers, she said. This was key issue was not necessarily about true both of applications for wealth focusing on innovative technology creation and the public good. Mr Satellite image of the United Kingdom. Launched in February 2016, Sentinel-3A’s Ocean and Land Colour Instrument monitors ocean ecosystems, supports crop management and agriculture, and provides estimates of atmospheric aerosol and clouds © Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data [2016]/ processed by ESA

16 Royal Academy of Engineering Innovation in space 17 The business of innovation in space

Clark added that the sector was now but that there was also potentially moving from a position where it had a major role for the been largely concerned with making in generating opportunities for the prototypes for individual spacecraft space sector to engage with other to a business in which it was ‘joining sectors, such as transport and health, up the dots’ to put together serious that might make use of innovations business propositions. The focus was derived from space technologies. now on creating products that can be This was particularly important in produced at scale and that connect opening up new markets to support the technology and the application. the growth of the industry. Professor Monks emphasised the non-linear nature of the space Both Professor Monks and Paul innovation ecosystem in which the Febvre commented on the challenge technology might follow a ‘spin of innovation around ‘big data’ and along’ pathway, out into of digitally enabling innovation another sector and back into space through data storage services, for at a later stage. example. Paul Febvre discussed the potential for generating mass-market The role of government agencies in products. He said that for GNSS the ‘NewSpace1’– from the huge clout baseline product for the mass market

of NASA in the US to the European was strong. For earth observation, For future intelligent transport systems, global navigation satellite systems will enable pricing and flexible traffic and UK bodies – was raised in the opportunities for high quality, high management and support services provided to connected vehicles such as crash avoidance and route optimisation discussion. Catherine Mealing- value services would need to be Jones said there was always a investigated, particularly where temptation for governments to get satellite data was being combined robotics would take on a larger role Paul Febvre said that, until recently, involved in mainly big projects, but with other sources of data. in the future in on-orbit assembly, the threats to space technology there was recognition now that refuelling and debris mitigation as had largely been electro-magnetic: space was turning into more of an Professor Yang Gao, Professor of well as space exploration. an external threat. The sector now entrepreneurial business, fast- Space Autonomous Systems at the needed to shift up a gear to address developing and differently funded, University of Surrey and head of the In response to a question about the more insidious internal threats that and the question governments had robotics laboratory operations at the relationship between terrestrial might compromise the availability of to ask was how they might facilitate Surrey Space Centre, commented on and space telecommunications whole systems or the assurance and this and deal with threats and the long timescale for space missions companies, Paul Febvre thought integrity of data. Latent threats may opportunities. She saw government’s from concept to implementation, and that in future there would be exist that are ready to activate at any key role as regulator and spectrum her hope for more rapid realisation greater collaboration between time. Professor Monks commented allocator rather than funder. of missions in the future. She the two industries as a result of a on the role of encryption and that thought that ‘kickstarter’ business convergence of costs and capabilities, governments would need to consider Paul Febvre, Chief Technology models might have a role to play and that the satellite industry regulation so that it is not a barrier Officer at the Satellite Applications in implementing university-based would need to engage with the 5G to market. Catapult, said that the European ideas more rapidly as well as community. Union was always going to be an engaging the public in robotics and Professor Gao said that academic important source of collaboration for autonomy as well as other areas. Sir One of the areas where the panel groups were starting to set up work academic and industrial research, Martin Sweeting commented that agreed that the space community on standardisation procedures needed to collaborate came in and cross-sector issues and that response to a question about the need standards organisations were 1 The term ‘NewSpace’ refer to the community of relatively new aerospace companies working to develop low-cost access for security and ‘cyber-resilience’ interested in this area. Sir Martin to space or technologies, in contrast to past approaches by government agencies and the mainstream aerospace in space-dependent infrastructure. Sweeting added that the liability industry.

18 Royal Academy of Engineering Innovation in space 19 regimes would need to be considered. re-skilling was vital to produce Catherine Mealing-Jones said that the numbers of people needed for the national space security policy the industry so as not to create showed how government was a barrier to growth, and that a addressing this issue, which was new type of scientist or engineer increasingly important as critical would drive forward space-enabled parts of national infrastructure services. Sir Martin Sweeting said became more dependent on that fundamental knowledge was space-enabled services. It was for the most important part of any the industry, the users and the university course, as specialist government to work together on knowledge went in and out of this, she said. . Catherine Mealing-Jones added that government also needed The final discussion addressed the people who understood space and 7. For further reading issue of skills and training needs. what it could offer to drive better Professor Monks thought that policy and regulation. and information

A new type of scientist or engineer will be needed to drive forward

space-enabled services HM Government, National , 13 December 2015 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-space-policy

Space IGS, Space innovation and growth strategy: 2015 update report https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_ data/file/444918/_SPACE-IGS_report-web-JJF-V2.0.pdf

UK Space Agency (2014), The Size and Health of the UK Space Industry 2014 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-space-industry-size-and- health-report-2014

Royal Academy of Engineering (2013), Extreme : impacts on engineered systems and infrastructure http://www.raeng.org.uk/publications/reports/space-weather-full-report

Royal Academy of Engineering (2011), Global Navigation Space Systems: reliance and vulnerabilities http://www.raeng.org.uk/publications/reports/global-navigation-space- systems

Global navigation satellite systems providing accurate, continuous positioning will enable delivery drones to fly the correct course

20 Royal Academy of Engineering Innovation in space 21 Professor Yang Gao Professor of Space Autonomous Systems, Head of STAR Lab, Surrey 8. Acknowledgements Space Centre

James Hinds Director of Strategy Development Space Systems, Airbus Defence and Space Ltd

Dr Samantha Lavender We would like to thank the following speakers for their contribution Director, Pixalytics and Chairman, British Association of Remote to Innovation in space: Sensing Companies

Chair Catherine Mealing-Jones Director for Growth, UK Space Agency Professor Sir Martin Sweeting OBE FREng FRS Executive Chairman, Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd Professor Paul Monks Professor of Atmospheric Chemistry and Earth Observation Science, University of Leicester Speakers Patrick Wood Tony Azzarelli CEO, Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd VP of Regulatory Affairs, Oneweb

Craig Clark MBE CEO, Clyde Space

Dr Chaz Dixon Deputy CTO, Satellite Applications Catapult

Paul Eccleston Chief Engineer, RAL Space

Paul Febvre Chief Technology Officer, Satellite Applications Catapult

22 Royal Academy of Engineering Innovation in space 23

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