The UK space industry is undergoing a revolution with new technology. The latest innovation gears towards beam-hoping satellites that will permit UK satellites to switch coverage of the planet.
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The space program in the UK is growing at an exponential rate. The UK Space Agency (UKSA) is responsible for 9.9% of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) budget. It’s no wonder there are many innovations taking place within the sector.
The latest collaboration is by a group of tech companies in the country. Their goal is to develop a beam-hoping satellite to enable UK satellites to switch the side of the earth they focus on.
This is a crucial innovation that will come in handy during emergencies or to benefit commercial interests. The innovative tech will make it easier for fast response to natural disasters, among other attractions, through government funding.
UK Beam-hoping Satellite Backed by Government Funding
OneWeb is among the group of tech companies who’ve come up with this idea that will benefit the UK space industry. The team has received 32 million pounds for the project from UKSA through the Sunrise Programme by the ESA.
The demonstration of the beam-hoping satellite is expected to take place in 2022. The industry expects the satellite dabbed ‘Joey-Sat’ to showcase its beam hopping capabilities. The goal is to concentrate on specific areas and broadcast without failure.
Such locations, for instance, experience high traffic, which results in poor network performance. The new technology will help during disasters when networks are overwhelmed or taken down. Other uses will include providing broadband to airplanes.
All of this is geared towards showcasing the power of the 5G network to the world. According to the Minister of Science in the UK, Amanda Solloway, the network will bring lots of benefits to the planet, so tech companies’ collaboration is crucial.
The funding from the UK Space Agency will make it possible for the fantastic technology to benefit millions of people. Also, it will boost the UK satellites technology at the forefront of the communications industry.
As for the tech companies taking part in the collaboration, there’s OneWeb, Celestia UK, Satixfy, and Astroscale UK. Working together will make it easier to accelerate such technologies, which will benefit the whole country.
The opportunity to work together on this project brings partners with plenty to offer in terms of supply chains. The support from the UKSA and ESA is a bonus that will contribute to advancing British satellite technologies.
Partner Contribution in Beam-Hoping Satellite Project
Each of the partners has a role to play in developing the beam-hoping satellite. Once complete, a British rocket launch will deliver it to Lower Earth Orbit.
Satixfy is in charge of developing the payload from its base in Farnborough. Another crucial part the company will play in developing the user terminal that supports the satellite. Satixfy has been awarded 25 million pounds for this.
The company is part of the game-changing technologies with exceptional payload capabilities and has an internal investment. The goal is to demonstrate the best future payload capabilities. Using low cost, the company expects to deliver high-performance electronically-steered multibeam user terminals.
Celestia UK will develop trial smart ground station technology with a multibeam electronically steered antenna. The company has received 4.4 million pounds for this and expects to boost whole ground network efficiency.
Astroscale UK is preparing for a UK rocket launch to clear space debris in LEO. The funding from the project will improve these technologies and improve in-orbit servicing skill growth. It’s also a demonstration of the government’s dedication to the UK’s growing space industry and future space launches.
Astroscale is working towards delivering crucial space debris removal technologies and developing new skills at Harwell Campus. The goal is to provide the UK with the ability to protect space for future generations. The company is gearing towards improving the technology and rolling it out commercially in 2024.
OneWeb’s role in this is essential for the future of the UK space industry and UK rocket launch missions. The company has 182 satellites in LEO. The number will increase once it launches 36 more in May 2022.
The goal of the Joey-Sat technology is to demonstrate how next-generation 5G connectivity will benefit the planet. All these are possible thanks to the support of the ESA and make it easier to deliver more innovations in such a competitive space.
Conclusion
The collaboration is a significant step forward for the industry as many companies prepare for more space launches from the UK to grow their constellation. This will keep them in the lead when it comes to satellite communication technology.
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