RAL Space

Hello LinkedIn! We're very excited to be here to share the stories of our incredible people, facilities, science, engineering and technology. Here's a little look at what you can expect…   #ralspace #spacetech #spacetechnology #spacescience #spaceresearch #spacesector #spaceindustry #LifeAtUKRI #ukspace

A first for the National Satellite Test Facility, and for the UK! We're proud to have conducted the UK's first direct field acoustic noise (#DFAN) tests, on components for ESA's Ariel Space Mission. 🪐 As well as two large shaker tables, the NSTF's Dynamics Suite is home to 48 powerful speakers and amplifiers capable of replicating the extreme acoustic environment of a rocket launch. These tests are critical for ensuring the structural integrity of space components that must withstand intense acoustic vibrations at launch. This milestone test focused on an engineering qualification model of the Ariel telescope baffle, built by Active Space Technologies. While this particular model won’t fly, it plays a key role in validating the design and construction before the final flight hardware is assembled. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/efUpKFZn The UK is already playing an important role in the Ariel mission, which will study the chemistry of around 1000 planets outside our solar system. If you're at #SpaceSymposium in Colorado this week, stop by the UK Pavilion and chat with us and UK Space Agency to learn more! STFC | UK Research and Innovation | Space Foundation | European Space Agency - ESA | STFC Business & Innovation

🚀 We'll be at Colorado's Space Symposium again this year, this time celebrating the 40th anniversary of the event with colleagues across STFC and UK Astronomy Technology Centre. You can find our team on the UK Pavilion in the South Hall. See you there!

We're very excited to be partnering with SKA Observatory at the The Royal Society's prestigious Summer Science Exhibition this year 💫 Over 10,000 members of the public, 1400 school students and teachers, and 1000 invited guests are expected to attend the exhibition, where we'll be showcasing the incredible science SKAO will enable, and the UK's role in delivering this ambitious project. You can find more information (plus a quote from our astrophysics programme lead Chris Pearson!) on p53 of the latest SKA #Contact magazine 👇

🌳 Surveying woodlands to determine tree numbers, species and health an be a painstaking task, often involving walking through large, forested areas to manually assess a sample of individual trees. 💡 However, hope is hovering on the horizon! By moving surveys into the air, researchers can take a far broader view of an area's tree or crop population, determining not only the make-up of trees, but whether those trees are unhealthy and capturing less carbon due to the effects of disease, pests, or climate change. A team at RAL Space are using drones and hyperspectral imaging, a technique originally developed for Earth observation, to assess and monitor plant populations from the sky. 📽️ Learn more in this video from STFC: https://lnkd.in/ewxg3VSF UK Research and Innovation | #ForestDay

Longer days are coming! It definitely feels like the start of spring today here on Harwell Science and Innovation Campus ☀️

"Just the ‘tip of iceberg’" for SKA Observatory 🤯 This is the amazing first image coming from the SKA-Low telescope in Australia – and a sign of even more exciting science to come when the world's most powerful radio telescope is fully operational! 💫

🎉🚀 Following successful launch in the early hours of yesterday morning, #NASA's four PUNCH spacecraft are poised to begin their mission to study our Sun! Led by the Southwest Research Institute in the US, the Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere (PUNCH) mission will provide unprecedented global, 3D observations of the Sun’s corona and how it drives space weather phenomena. By improving our understanding of these processes, PUNCH will help improve forecasts of severe space weather events that can disrupt satellites, power grids, and communications on Earth. ☀️ As well as contributing to the mission's scientific goals, RAL Space teams have designed, developed, and manufactured the systems for the mission’s four visible-light cameras. These cameras will capture a unique perspective of the evolving solar wind, delivering critical data to scientists worldwide. “It’s incredibly exciting to see PUNCH in orbit and ready to begin its mission”, says Dr Jackie Davies, RAL Space’s head of Heliospheric Physics and UK Science Lead for PUNCH. “The camera systems we’ve developed will provide an innovative view of the solar wind, helping scientists understand how space weather forms and evolves. This research is vital for protecting technology and infrastructure on Earth, and we’re looking forward to seeing the first images in the near future.” STFC | NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

We had a fantastic time with the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand on their recent visit to the UK! 🚀 Their trip included a tour of our facilities in Harwell, where they engaged with our staff on space technology development and potential opportunities for collaboration. We were also delighted to welcome the visitors to our Chilbolton Observatory in Hampshire. 📡 The next stop on their agenda was the UK Astronomy Technology Centre, who describe more about the visit here 👇

🚀 Are you heading to the National Student Space Conference in Leicester this weekend? We are too! Held annually by UKSEDS - UK Students for the Exploration and Development of Space, #NSSC is an event tailored especially for students passionate about space, bringing together academics and industry professionals from across the UK to network, share insights, and tackle the sector’s biggest challenges. ✨ If you're attending, come say hello! Some of our early career colleagues will be there, ready to chat about the exciting work happening at the UK’s national space lab and the career opportunities available to you. See you there! 👋🌍🛰️ Find out more and get your tickets here: https://lnkd.in/ezmwuce3 #NSSC2025 University of Leicester