Campus Ecosystem Helps Kick-Start New Space Developments

Five companies pioneering the latest space hardware, robotics and technology shared their latest growth and partnership milestones with investors, industry leaders and HRH The Duke of York at the Harwell Campus ‘New Space’ Showcase held in June.

Members of the world-renowned Harwell Space Cluster – Rezatec, Open Cosmos, Effective Space and Oxford Space Systems, alongside European leaders Thales Alenia Space – are part of an 80-strong group of private, public and academic organisations that includes STFC’s RAL Space facility and is focused on democratising the Space market and supporting the UK Space Sector as it aims for a 10% share of the global market by 2030.

His Royal Highness The Duke of York marked the event with the first deployment of Oxford Space Systems’ newest antenna targeted at earth observation satellite constellations.

The five companies exemplify the Harwell Space Cluster and companies within it that are helping to drive a step-change to the traditional Space business model, where hundreds of millions of pounds of investments have typically been needed to break into the market. The unique ecosystem at the Campus helps start-ups and scale-ups grow rapidly with support from organisations such as STFC’s RAL Space facility, the European Space Agency and its Business Incubation Centre, the Satellite Applications Catapult and the UK Space Agency.

Dr Chris Mutlow, Director of STFC RAL Space, said: “Over the last decade it has been invigorating to see the number of new space companies join RAL Space at Harwell. We’ve seen our own facilities grow and with them a buzz of space activity has sprung up. We now work in the centre of a thriving and active space cluster. Which is great for the UK as we focus our efforts on continuing to be a major player in the global space technology arena.”