Military/Aerospace Electronics

A British-built research satellite, the The UK Space Agency has announced, completes the payload for the UK’s first space launch, taking place this year with Virgin Orbit from Spaceport Cornwall in Newquay. A research satellite from RHEA Group, built in Oxfordshire by space company Open Cosmos, it will be sharing a ride with five additional satellite missions, including the first ...

EPC Space has announced 100V and 200V rad-hard GaN power transistors for space use “with ultra-low on-resistance and extremely low gate charge for high power density solutions”, according to the company. Judge for yourself, these are the typical values: EPC7007B (200V 18A): 28mΩ 5.4nC EPC7018G (100V 90A): 6mΩ 11.7nC “These additions to our rad-hard product line enable a generation of ...

Prestwick Spaceport, in South Ayrshire near Glasgow, is planning to accelerate its satellite launch hub plans. At this week’s Farnborough International Airshow, representatives from the spaceport are set to meet with companies, academia and government organisations from across the global space industry, to establish its plans to become “Europe’s premier space launch location”. Prestwick Spaceport will be present, alongside partners ...

Space South Central organisations already create £1.64bn of export revenue and £65m in foreign direct investment annually, according to the University of Surrey, which is part of the cluster. It also claims the South East is responsible for £4.2bn (~25%) of UK space-related income, with Surrey and Hampshire estimated to account for up to £3bn of UK space-related turn-over. It ...

The Edinburgh-headquartered space company Skyrora begins rocket production in what it describes as the UK’s largest engine manufacturing facility in Cumbernauld, in Scotland’s Central Belt. The new Skyrora Vehicle Assembly Building consists of 55,000 sq ft of factory floor and office space, along with a 67,000 sq ft yard large enough to contain the entire Skylark L launch complex and ...

Under a contract with U.S. Space Systems Command, BAE Systems is delivering its Miniature Precision Lightweight GPS Receiver Engine – M-Code (MPE-M) to German military forces. Germany is the first country outside the U.S. to receive such jamming-resistant, advanced M-Code GPS receivers, said the company. Providing precise geolocation and positioning information, they are aimed at “contested operational environments”. The small, ...

Japanese space startup GITAI will be carrying out a demonstration of its space robotics technology outside the International Space Station (ISS) in 2023. Specifically, the company has announced it will demonstrate – working with Nanoracks – the capabilities of its autonomous robot when mounted external to the space station on the Nanoracks Bishop Airlock. Based in Tokyo and Los Angeles, ...

SaxaVord Spaceport, in the Shetland Islands, has completed a test exercise at its site, up to the point of launch. Dubbed “Operation Freya”, it was intended to allow for a full testing of processes and procedures that are being developed for eventual spaceflight later this year. Specifically the spaceport is on the Lamba Ness peninsula in Unst, which is currently ...

The air industry is planning to tackle sustainability with autonomous operations, writes Caroline Hayes. The airline industry has come under a lot of criticism from environmentalists because, while everyone loves to travel, air travel has a huge carbon footprint. The general consensus seems to be that other people need to reduce the amount of time they spend in the air. ...

Astrocast, the Swiss nanosatellite IoT network operator, has announced a partnership with ArrowSpot, a supply chain logistics specialist. The agreement will see Astrocast integrating its Satellite IoT (SatIoT) technology into ArrowSpot’s tracking devices and its ArroWatch application. Specifically, Astrocast’s technology will be in ArrowSpot’s new ArrowTrack SAT device (pictured), which combines cellular and satellite communication to manage containers moving around ...