Satellite Applications Catapult Unveils Major Upgrades to World-Leading ISAM Facility
The Satellite Applications Catapult has completed significant upgrades to its In-orbit Servicing, Assembly and Manufacturing (ISAM) Test Facility at Westcott, Buckinghamshire, UK – enhancements that further cement its position as Europe’s most advanced and capable ISAM testing environment, and one of the premier resources of its kind globally.
The Catapult team has implemented a suite of improvements to support the growing demand for safe, sustainable, and cost-effective in-orbit operations. As the global space economy accelerates, high-fidelity simulation environments are essential to advancing next-generation space technologies and procedures—especially for critical mission elements such as Rendezvous, Proximity Operations and Docking (RPOD).
The ISAM Facility consists of robotic arms and a off-load system that allow the facility to ‘switch off’ gravity for satellites and hardware that needs to be tested. The system can be programmed to move just as a spacecraft would in orbit, simulating approach, docking, capture, or any other manoeuvre that is required. Using cameras, sensors, or technology provided by the user, the facility can then generate large amounts of data on how the satellite will behave in space, without the cost or risk of leaving the Earth’s surface.
As well as physical upgrades to the facility, a significant amount of work has been carried out upgrading the technology and software that make all this possible. The team at Satellite Applications Catapult have developed new solutions for contact dynamics – simulating what will happen when two objects collide in space – and autonomous methodologies that can allow spacecraft to act without human input. Together with new lighting systems that better represent the movement of the sun relative to spacecraft in orbit and a digital twin of the facility that combines all of its capabilities into a virtual model that callows development to be carried out in the virtual world before physical testing is carried out which reduces risk and cost to the programme.
Richard Lowe, Chief Technology Officer at Satellite Applications Catapult, said:
“This facility upgrade demonstrates that the UK is the top destination in Europe for developing new in-orbit servicing technologies. Those technologies will play a key role in addressing pressing issues such as sustainability, orbital debris, and new resilient services delivered from space.
“The capabilities of this facility, including staff expertise, are world class. We’re giving UK companies and partners access to the best possible facilities for technology development and testing, helping them to stay ahead of the competition.”
More information about the ISAM Facility can be found at Satellite Applications Catapult’s website or get in touch with facilities@sa.catapult.org.uk to find out how the ISAM team can support you.
