Space South Central companies share £2.1 million for planet-protecting EO technology
Projects involving five Space South Central organisations are to receive £2,125,000 in funding from the UK Space Agency’s early-stage technology programme to boost the UK’s Earth observation (EO) technologies and improve how space is used to understand and protect the planet.
EO projects involving the National Oceanography Centre and In-Space Missions in Hampshire, and Surrey-based Blue Sky Imaging Ltd, Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) and Surrey AI Imaging Ltd were among 12 schemes sharing £9 million of funding delivered by the Centre for Earth Observation Instrumentation (CEOI).
Each of the projects will improve monitoring of Earth’s atmosphere and measure critical emissions such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrogen dioxide, developing instruments that could help decision-makers respond more effectively to issues from inefficient farming techniques to wildfires.
The UK is a world leader in EO, having pledged £314 million to EO programmes as part of a record £1.8 billion investment in the European Space Agency (ESA).
Guildford-based SSTL had two successful bids which attracted a total of £1,150,000 of funding. Its Hyperspectral Chroma-D Instrument (HERCHI) Payload Development project, supported by Pixalytics, was awarded £900,000. Hyper-spectral cameras can target molecules including carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, cobalt and methane to measure carbon emissions and air quality. and this new generation of technology will create a new generation of detectors. The team will produce a breadboard model of a camera and perform some basic characterisation as part of its technological readiness-raising activities.
SSTL’s second award for £250,000 will fund Expanding GNSS-R for HydroGNSS Constellation. The company is the prime contractor for ESA’s HydroGNSS Scout Mission, due to launch later this year. Supported by the University of Nottingham and the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton, SSTL will investigate other novel uses of the system, examining methods of gaining global navigation satellite system (GNSS) altimetry, combining with other GNSS providers and the effects of radio frequency interference.
Alton-based In-Space Missions is supporting Super-Sharp Space Systems in a project awarded £900,000 to develop an unfolding, self-aligning thermal infra-red space telescope. The team will create a prototype platform that could be used with a small satellite to produce maps to improve crop irrigation or identify wildfires or activities with high carbon emissions.
Surrey AI Imaging Ltd was awarded £75,000 for EO-APU: Prototype Development for an AI-Driven EO Processing Unit, addressing the need for new ways of processing and organising the massive increase of data available from satellites. With support from Dorking-based Blue Sky Imaging Ltd, the Cranleigh company will start developing an AI processing unit that will eventually be onboard satellites to pre-analyse, enhance or sort data, before taking up limited bandwidth on return to Earth.
Beth Greenaway, Head of Earth Observation and Climate at the UK Space Agency, said:
“These new projects highlight the strength and diversity of UK expertise in both universities and companies across the UK – they are at the cutting edge of inventing the newest tools and techniques.
“The 16th CEOI call shows that we are ready to match the commitment of the UK space sector to ensuring the Earth observation capabilities stay at the forefront of the global demand.”
Director of the Space South Central Enterprise Network, Dr Louise Butt, said:
“These investments are wonderful news for the region and once again – following last week’s announcement of £370,000 in funding for other projects to develop new space technologies – demonstrates the world-leading expertise we have here.
“EO is an essential tool with an incredible range of applications, from tackling climate change or how we respond to natural and manmade disasters, to assessing agricultural productivity or monitoring supply chains.
“Public and private investment in the 170 space-related businesses in Hampshire, Surrey and the Isle of Wight not only boosts the local economy and employment but also accelerates innovations that have a global, real-world impact.”
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