SSTL-25-years-brochure

Changing the economics of space for 25 years 25 1985-2010 The SSTL Story In the mid-1970s space was considered to be such a different environment to Earth that anything sent into the atmosphere needed to be specially designed and tested for the harsh conditions of space. Naturally, this made building satellites incredibly expensive and time-intensive. A group of highly skilled aerospace researchers, including a young Martin Sweeting, working in the Electrical Engineering Department of the University of Surrey decided to experiment by creating a satellite using standard consumer technology, known as commercial- off-the-shelf (COTS) components. The results were surprising. That first satellite, UoSAT-1 (University of Surrey satellite) was launched in 1981 with the help of NASA, who had become very interested in the group’s work. The mission was a great success, outliving its planned three-year life by more than five years. Most importantly, the team showed that relatively small and inexpensive satellites could be built rapidly to perform successful, sophisticated missions. In 1985, the University formed Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) as a spin-out company to transfer the results of its research into a commercial enterprise able to remain at the forefront of satellite innovation. The growth in company size and the capability delivered to our customers has continued to accelerate. Today SSTL employs more than 350 staff, has launched 34 spacecraft, with 13 more under manufacture, and is delivering missions that provide critical and valuable services to customers across the globe. In 2008 the Company set up a US subsidiary, Surrey Satellite Technology LLC with offices in Denver, Colorado. At the end of that year, EADS Astrium NV bought a 99% shareholding in SSTL from the University of Surrey, allowing the Company to fulfil its growth potential. Sir Martin Sweeting Executive Chairman of SSTL The SSTL story is a showcase of British ingenuity, ambition and engineering expertise “There’s no question that space travel makes for a very bumpy ride. But we tested every component of the satellite in a specially designed chamber that replicated the space environment. The chamber exposed everything to high and low temperatures, high speeds and movement. Everything still worked afterwards and we still test all our satellite equipment in the same way.” UoSAT-1 Our first two microsatellites, UoSAT-1 and UoSAT-2, were designed by a small team of research engineers, radio amateurs and academic staff at the University of Surrey. Successfully launched, free of charge, by NASA in 1981 and 1984 respectively, they carried payloads developed in-house for research and education, primarily to demonstrate the potential of such small satellites and also to investigate the suitability of emerging commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) microelectronics for use in space. The learning curve was steep and with the successful launch of those early satellites we were set to create a small satellite market where previously none existed. The rest is history! In those early experimental days we were fearless. We exploited the rapid advances in electronics using pre-existing technology found in everyday consumer products. We had no preconceived ideas and so our first satellite, UoSAT-1, was much cheaper, lighter and quicker to build than existing satellites. UoSAT-1 weighed just 72kg at a time when most satellites were the size of a double-decker bus. Sir Martin Sweeting Executive Chairman of SSTL 25 Years of Space Innovation An innovative approach to the design, build, launch and operation of satellites, has propelled SSTL to the forefront of the small satellite industry. 25 Small satellites have accelerated the exploitation of space for both civil and military applications. Scientists are now able to obtain frequent and affordable flights for their experiments and it is now well within the economic grasp of every nation to possess its own space capability, previously enjoyed by a few super-powers. Innovation has been at the forefront of SSTL’s drive to change the economics of space and we have retained that philosophy at SSTL today. We continue to push the boundaries of space, exploiting advances in technologies and continuing to challenge conventions, to bring affordable space exploration to our customers. 25 198 5-2 010 UoSAT-5 SSTL R&D spacecraft SSTL incorporated 1991 Consortium wins European GNSS 14-satellite contract Looking forward... The beginning... UoSAT-1, Martin Sweeting and the University of Surrey team KITSAT-1, Korean engineers on SSTL’s first training programme 1992 2010 NigeriaSat-2 and NigeriaSat-X, second generation DMC satellites New technical facility 2011 1981 1985 A journey through innovation 25 198 5-2 010 UK-DMC2, second generation DMC satellite 22m imagery Tycho House, new HQ RapidEye 5-satellite commercial constellation 2006 GIOVE-A, first European GNSS test bed satellite Tycho House, UK HQ SSTL acquired by EADS HM Queen Elizabeth II visits SSTL and views UoSAT-12 AISAT-1, first DMC satellite 32m imagery 1998 2002 TopSat, 2.5m imaging satellite for UK MoD 2005 October 1992 2009 2008 2005 December 2006 2009 A journey through innovation Spacecraft Customer/End User Launch Date Launcher Launch Site Mass (kg) Primary Mission UoSAT-1 University of Surrey (UK) 06 October 1981 THOR DELTA Vandenburg 52 Technology Demonstration UoSAT-2 University of Surrey (UK) 01 March 1984 THOR DELTA Vandenburg 60 Communications UoSAT-3 University of Surrey (UK) 22 January 1990 ARIANE-4 Kourou 45.5 Technology Demonstration UoSAT-4 University of Surrey (UK) 22 January 1990 ARIANE-4 Kourou 47.5 Communications UoSAT-5 University of Surrey (UK) 17 July 1991 ARIANE-4 Kourou 48.4 Technology Demonstration KITSAT-1 KAIST (South Korea) 10 August 1992 ARIANE-4 Kourou 48.6 Technology Demonstration S80/T Matra Marconi/CNES (France) 10 August 1992 ARIANE-4 Kourou 50 Communications HealthSat-2 SatelLife (USA) 26 September 1993 ARIANE-4 Kourou 44 Communications PoSAT-1 INETI (Portugal) 26 September 1993 ARIANE-4 Kourou 49 Technology Demonstration CERISE Alcatel/DGA (France) 07 July 1995 ARIANE-4 Kourou 50 Electronic Intelligence FASat-A FACH (Chile) 31 August 1995 Tsyclon Plesetsk 55 Technology Demonstration FASat-B FACH (Chile) 10 July 1998 ZENIT Baikonur 55 Technology Demonstration TMSat Mahanakorn University (Thailand) 10 July 1998 ZENIT Baikonur 55 Earth Observation UoSAT-12 SSTL (UK) 21 April 1999 DNEPR Baikonur 312 Technology Demonstration Clementine Alcatel/DGA (France) 03 December 1999 ARIANE-4 Kourou 50 Electronic Intelligence Tsinghua-1 Tsinghua University (China) 28 June 2000 COSMOS-3M Plesetsk 49.7 Earth Observation SNAP-1 SSTL (UK) 28 June 2000 COSMOS-3M Plesetsk 8.3 Technology Demonstration TiungSat ATSB (Malaysia) 26 September 2000 DNEPR Baikonur 50.8 Earth Observation PICOSat USAF (USA) 01 October 2001 Athena-1 Kodiak 67.2 Technology Demonstration AlSAT-1 CNTS (Algeria) 28 November 2002 COSMOS-3M Plesetsk 90.3 Earth Observation NigeriaSat-1 NASRDA (Nigeria) 27 September 2003 COSMOS-3M Plesetsk 90.1 Earth Observation UK-DMC1 BNSC/DMCii (UK) 27 September 2003 COSMOS-3M Plesetsk 90.1 Earth Observation BILSAT-1 TUBITAK (Turkey) 27 September 2003 COSMOS-3M Plesetsk 130.1 Earth Observation TopSat QinetiQ/MOD/BNSC (UK) 28 October 2005 COSMOS-3M Plesetsk 113.8 Earth Observation Beijing-1 BLMIT (China) 28 October 2005 COSMOS-3M Plesetsk 163.6 Earth Observation GIOVE-A European Space Agency 28 December 2005 Soyuz Baikonur 649 Technology Demonstration/Navigation CFESat Los Alamos (USA) 09 March 2007 Atlas-5 Kennedy 163 Technology Demonstration RapidEye-1A MDA/RapidEye AG (Germany) 29 August 2008 DNEPR Baikonur 153.7 Earth Observation RapidEye-1B MDA/RapidEye AG (Germany) 29 August 2008 DNEPR Baikonur 153.7 Earth Observation RapidEye-1C MDA/RapidEye AG (Germany) 29 August 2008 DNEPR Baikonur 153.7 Earth Observation RapidEye-1D MDA/RapidEye AG (Germany) 29 August 2008 DNEPR Baikonur 153.7 Earth Observation RapidEye-1E MDA/RapidEye AG (Germany) 29 August 2008 DNEPR Baikonur 153.7 Earth Observation Deimos-1 Deimos Srl (Spain) 29 July 2009 DNEPR Baikonur 90 Earth Observation UK-DMC2 SSTL-DMCii (UK) 29 July 2009 DNEPR Baikonur 96.5 Earth Observation Experimental demonstrators to commercial Earth observation constellations Experimental satellites The first satellites in the early 1980s were experimental, pushing at the boundaries of capabilities for small satellites. Taking full advantage of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) technologies, UoSAT-1 was the first modern microsatellite with re- programmable on-board computers and a 2-D CCD array imager with 256x256 pixels. UoSAT-1, was funded by donations from industry, AMSAT, the government and volunteers. Costing £250,000 to build, UoSAT-1 was launched in 1981 with the help of NASA. UoSAT-2 was funded by the University of Surrey. With no further funding available, SSTL was established in 1985 as a commercial company, wholly owned by the University of Surrey. The team then focussed on reducing the weight of the spacecraft at the same time as increasing capabilities and UoSAT-3 and UoSAT-4 were built using a modular design, a first for microsatellites and now widely adopted in the industry. UoSAT-5, launched in 1991, provided the first useful Earth observation images from a small satellite, using three area CCD arrays with 1024x1024 pixel images. UoSAT-2 UoSAT-1 UoSAT-3 and 4 A journey from academic research to commercial exploitation 25 198 5-2 010 Proof of concept and early operational demonstrators 1992 marked the launch of SSTL’s first fully commercial mission, the S80/T communications spacecraft for Matra Marconi (CNES) which was launched alongside KITSAT-1, SSTL’s first mission to include a training and development programme. The 90s were a period of rapid and experimental development with SSTL pioneering the use of small satellites for technology demonstration, Earth observation and early communications. The company signed up new commercial customers who were keen to test technologies in space, and government organisations aiming to establish national space capabilities. KITSAT-1 - EO, communications, training & development Interest in small satellites grew - initially for research and then for operational missions HealthSat-2 - Communications S80/T - Communications PoSAT-1 - EO, science & communications CERISE - Communications Training and Development SSTL has a long history of providing hands-on and theoretical training to its customers. Fifteen international training programmes have been completed, 6 national space agencies and 2 spin-out companies created, bringing sustainable economic expansion through space-based activities. Pakistan (BADR-1) South Africa (UoSAT-3/4/5) South Korea (KITSAT-1/2) Portugal (PoSAT-1) Chile (FaSAT-Alfa/Bravo) Thailand (TMSat) Singapore (Merlion P/L on UoSAT-12) Malaysia (TiungSat-1) China (Tshinghua-1) Algeria (AlSAT-1) Turkey (BILSAT-1) Nigeria (NigeriaSat-1) Nigeria (NigeriaSat-NX) USA, NASA & MSU (Magnolia) Japan (FjSAT) SSTL were unique in using small satellites as the foundation of industrial development programmes Tsinghua-1 with the trainee engineers from Tsinghua University Two of the Nigerian trainees with NigeriaSat-NX during vacuum tests FASat-Alpha with the Chilean Air Force trainee engineers 25 198 5-2 010 Early Earth Observation Embracing cutting edge, commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) technology, SSTL continued to produce novel and less expensive ways to perform meaningful space missions. TMSat, a 55kg microsatellite built for Thailand’s Mahanakorn University, was launched in 1998 and was the first microsatellite to take multispectral images of the Earth. San Jose - image TMSat (ThaiPhutt) TMSat (ThaiPhutt) - for Thailand’s Mahanakorn University FaSat-Bravo - for Chilean Air Force Cape Town - image TMSat (ThaiPhutt) SSTL’s early EO satellites yielded better than 90-metre ground sampling distance in LANDSAT-compatible bands at a fraction of the cost of conventional EO satellites 25 198 5-2 010 Telecommunications & Navigation Going beyond LEO with missions designed for MEO, GEO, HEO and interplanetary orbits SSTL is developing a new cost effective telecommunications satellite under the name GMP (Geostationary Minisatellite Platform). Earlier development work enabled SSTL to develop GIOVE-A for ESA, the first satellite of the European GNSS constellation launched in 2005 and still operational. At an orbital height of over 23,000 km, GIOVE-A also constituted a successful first move “beyond LEO” for the company. GIOVE-A HealthSat-2 which joined UoSAT-3 (HealthSat-1) as the second microsatellite in the HealthNet global communications system, providing desperately needed low cost communication links between medical institutions and health programmes in the developing world. Launched in 1993. S80/T communications satellite built for Matra Marconi/CNES and launched in 1992 SSTL is the payload prime for 14 satellites for Europe’s Global Navigation Satellite System Image: OHB Technology Demonstration SSTL’s small satellites provide a low-cost means of demonstrating new technologies and applications rapidly, in a realistic orbital environment and within acceptable risk parameters and have supported a wide range of in-orbit technology demonstration. From a 6.5kg nanosatellite through to the 600kg GIOVE-A, SSTL satellites have provided a test bed for Earth observation, navigation and science missions. GIOVE-A for ESA: first test satellite for the European Global Navigation System TopSat for QinetiQ (BNSC and UK MoD): tactical Earth observation UoSAT-12 microsatellite - SSTL R&D project: first minisatellite to provide 10m resolution EO images SNAP-1 nanosatellite - SSTL R&D project: in-orbit inspection of another spacecraft and orbital formation flying CFESat for the US Los Alamos National Laboratory: Atmospheric Research Balancing risk and cost to verify and evaluate new technologies in space UoSAT-1 - University of Surrey, UK UoSAT-3 - University of Surrey, UK UoSAT-5 - University of Surrey, UK KITSAT-1 - KAIST, South Korea PoSAT-1 - INETI, Portugal FASat-Alpha - Chilean Air Force FASat-Bravo - Chilean Air Force UoSAT-12 - SSTL SNAP-1 - SSTL PICOSat - US Air Force GIOVE-A - ESA CFESat - LANL, US STRaND-1 – SSTL/SSC TechDemoSat-1 – TSB/SEEDA STRaND-1 (Surrey Training, Research and Nanosatellite Demonstrator), will take a smartphone into space. A collaborative project with the University of Surrey, STRaND will demonstrate advanced rapid-build capabilities using advanced COTS components. Image: Leroy Sanchez Science and Exploration SSTL small satellites are playing an increasing role in space science and exploration, enabling compact, sophisticated payloads to access the orbital environment, both affordably and in rapid time frames European Student Moon Orbiter (ESMO) which will map the lunar surface. The project brings together students from 19 European universities who will benefit from hands-on learning in space science and engineering. Launch may be as soon as 2013. SSTL is building a Short Wave Infra-Red (SWIR) spectrometer for Dutch Space, to fly onboard ESA’s Sentinel 5 Precursor mission. The spectrometer will measure carbon monoxide and methane, the second most important anthropogenic greenhouse gas in the atmosphere TechDemoSat-1 will be the first collaborative UK satellite launched by the new UK Space Agency and will demonstrate the advanced capabilities of state-of- the-art small satellite technology for scientific and commercial applications. SSTL is supplying the Multi- Spectral Imager (MSI) for ESA’s EarthCARE mission, which aims to improve the understanding of the Earth’s radiation balance. The MSI will provide information on the structure of clouds, providing data to validate the aerosol, cloud and radiance measurements made by other EarthCARE instruments. SSTL technologies have a role in protecting the Earth’s environment and for reaching the Moon 25 198 5-2 010 The New Millennium: Operational systems and the Disaster Monitoring Constellation SSTL conceived the innovative and unique Disaster Monitoring Constellation, the first Earth observation constellation of low cost small satellites providing daily images for applications including global disaster monitoring. The Disaster Monitoring Constellation is coordinated by DMC International Imaging Ltd (DMCii) for both commercial imaging programmes and disaster response within the International Charter: Space & Major Disasters. In 2002 SSTL launched AlSAT-1 for Algeria’s CNTS - the first satellite of the Disaster Monitoring Constellation and providing 32-metre multispectral imaging. The following year, a further three satellites were launched into the constellation: BILSAT-1 for Turkey’s TUBITAK; NigeriaSat-1 for NASRDA and UK-DMC1 for the UK’s BNSC. Higher quality and higher resolution Earth observation at 32-metres with 600 km wide swath SSTL engineers conduct final pre-launch checks on AlSAT-1 at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia The New Orleans coast following the devastating floods wrought by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Image captured by NigeriaSat-1 A Russian COSMOS launch adapter holds three SSTL-built satellites preparing for launch into the Disaster Monitoring Constellation Outstanding resolution for commercial applications - 2.5 metre panchromatic and 5 metre multispectral imaging Platforms with flexible accommodation for a wide range of payloads SSTL small satellites are providing outstanding capabilities demonstrated by operational missions such as TopSat, a rapid response tactical mission for QinetiQ and the UK Ministry of Defence. Beijing-1, launched in 2005 for Beijing Landview Mapping Information Technology, provides valuable imagery for government and commercial users who require regular data for agricultural, water resource, environmental and disaster monitoring. The RapidEye constellation is commercially operated by RapidEye AG. Launched in 2008, the system is capable of downloading over 4 million km² of high resolution, multispectral imagery per day. To image the Earth continually, SSTL’s Earthmapper may be flown as a single space asset, or as a constellation, to provide an “always on” system. TopSat - 2.5m panchromatic and 5.6m multispectral resolution Earthmapper: ‘always on’ imaging system providing full coverage of the Earth’s land area in 5 days. Flown as a constellation, Earthmapper can image the entire global land mass every day. Beijing-1 - 4m panchromatic and 32m multispectral imaging The 5-satellite RapidEye constellation and a 5m image of the Concagua river estuary near the Chilean city of Concon 22m resolution image of Fort Worth, Texas taken by UK-DMC2 Enhanced resolution systems and operational Earth observation constellations Captured at 5m resolution, an agricultural area near Sao Paulo acquired by RapidEye The Disaster Monitoring Constellation has been operational since 2002. New satellites launched into the system are providing higher resolution and vastly improved data capacity and speed. The 5-satellite RapidEye constellation, developed by MacDonald Dettwiler & Associates (MDA) and built by SSTL, is providing unprecedented global monitoring of the Earth’s surface. The mission provides rapid delivery of land information products and services to the agricultural industry for crop monitoring and mapping, yield predictions and natural disaster assessment. High-resolution imag