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Oxford Space Systems │ UK Space Cluster │ Harwell OX11 0QR │ United Kingdom
www.oxford.space [email protected]
OSS MEMBRANE DEVELOPMENT
Institute of Physics
Michael Loweth, Business Development Manager
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• Founded in Sept 2013 - seed funding secured Jan 2014
• Developing a new generation of novel deployable space antennas, booms and panel arrays
• Origami & proprietary materials combined to produce products are lighter, less complex & more stowage efficient
• Intellectual Property developed: 8 patents applied for together with significant materials science IP
• A growing & diverse team of experienced industry experts & highly talented graduates (FTs: 50+ currently recruiting)
• Commercial traction: contracts with UK MoD, SSTL, Airbus Defence & Space, Thales Alenia Space, LuxSpace, DSO National Labs (Singapore) + USA
• Showcase New Space company for the UK Government
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THE STORY SO FAR…..
commercial in confidence
HARWELL SPACE CLUSTER
Quick Facts
• £2Bn+ infrastructure
• 5,500+ people
• 200+ organisations
• 90+ Space companies
• 710 acres
Focus Areas
➢ Space & Satellite Applications
➢ Life Sciences & Healthcare
➢ Big Data & Supercomputing
➢ Energy & Environment
➢ Advanced Engineering & Materials
European Space Agency (ECSAT)
National Space Test Facility (vibration,
thermal vacuum, clean rooms, lab
space etc)
Offices for: • Airbus DS• Thales • Lockheed Martin • SSTL• MDA
Where we are….
NEW FACILITY
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44commercial in confidence
SELECTED HIGHLIGHTS
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Feb 2015: AstroTube™ boom selected for UKSA AlSat Mission
Nov 2017: Top 5 Global Start-up to WatchInstitute of Physics : Business Innovation (AlSat
Mission)
Dec 2015: Best Investment in Disruptive Technology 2015
Sept 2015: Best UK Tech Start-Up 2015Grand Prix ‘Winner of Winners’ Award 2015
Dec 2017: Start-Up Entrepreneur of the Year 2017 (Mike Lawton)
Nov 2016: AstroTube™ boom successfully deployed
July 2015: $1.7m (USD) Round 2
Sept 2013: $135k (USD) Innovate UK ‘Pre-Start-Up’ Harwell Launchpad Grant
Jan 2014: $670k (USD) seed investment from Longwall Ventures
Jun 2017: $1.5m (USD) Round 3 (“Interim Round” including Space Angels USA)
Sept 2018: $8.1m Round 4
Dec 2018: Top 100 Fastest Growing UK Company (ranking: #52)
June 2018: Excellence in Innovation Award
• Private Equity Investment: £12m (GBP)
• UK Government & ESA: £5m (GBP)
April 2019: NASA iTechIgnite the Night:
Colorado Springs Winner
SPACE PRODUCTS OVERVIEW
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ASTROTUBE™ DEPLOYABLE BOOM TECHNOLOGY
TWO WORLD RECORDS SET…..• World’s longest retractable nanosat boom system• Fastest time from concept to orbit for a new material
SHOOTING SPACE JUNK…!• RemoveDEBRIS satellite launched April 2018• Successfully deployed after 9 months on orbit storage• Harpoon experiment seen as a “complete success” by
Airbus Defence & Space
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THREE KEY PRODUCT AREAS…..Large Unfurlable Antennas
AstroTube™ : Scalable Boom Systems
Deployable Panel Arrays
By using flight qualified proprietary materials OSS products are:
✓ Lighter
✓ Less complex
✓ Lower cost
✓ More stowage efficient
…than those in current commercial demand
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OSS OUTER-RING & MEMBRANE ANTENNA
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OSS Membrane Reflector Surface (on test rig)
OSS Outer-Ring / Hoop
StowedDeployed
OSS to deliver flight hardware to US customer in
Q1 2020 : outer-ring & membrane with
AstroTube Max Deployment Boomcommercial in confidence
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PROPRIETARY MEMBRANE SURFACES FOR DEPLOYABLE ANTENNAS
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• Pre-shaped membrane • Permit high surface RMS accuracy (Ka-Band & over) • Reduces complexity & cost of cable net systems
THE RESULT
• The OSS novel membrane based antennas are lighter, less complex & lower in cost than traditional metal mesh surface antennas
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DEPLOYABLE SUB 1M KA-BAND ANTENNA: MESH SURFACE
• OSS is developing a range of scalable <1m dimeter metal mesh reflectors
• Uses OSS proprietary single piece ‘3D’ parabolic metal mesh surface with a single seam
• Successful demonstration of metal mesh attachment to bi-fold backing structure
• ESA RF test campaign on OSS mesh shows class-leading performance
0.7M DIMETER METAL MESH ‘BI-FOLD’ ANTENNA
M1 OSS MeshM3 Incumbent Mesh 1
M4 Incumbent Mesh 2
Note: S11 results illuminate mesh fixings
ESA TEST
DATA
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DEPLOYABLE SUB 1M KA-BAND ANTENNA: MEMBRANE
• OSS is developing a range of proprietary pre-shaped RF membrane surfaces
• Significant work undertaken to establish minimum bend radius / folding patterns to avoid fibre damage and micro-buckling
• Currently achieving good Ka-Band performance
• Q/V Bands under development
0.7M DIMETER MEMBRANE ‘UMBRELLA’ ANTENNA
CONSIDERABLE WORK UNDERTAKEN USING SCANNING
ELECTRON MICROSCOPE TO ESTABLISH MINIMUM
MEMBRANE BEND RADII
NON CONTACT LASER SURFACE SCAN TO
MEASURE SURFACE RMS ACCURACY
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› Successful development of the pre-shaped membrane
› Access to Surrey University skills
Surrey University able to bring multiple departments together:
› labs in the Physics department to determine the thermomechanical properties of the resins,
› the Surrey Space Centre to do the thermal cycling tests,
› the Centre for Engineering Materials and Structures for the material characterisation.
THE SPRINT SUCCESS
CONTACT US:
Oxford Space Systems
1, Zephyr Building
Harwell Space Cluster
Harwell OX11 0RL
United Kingdom
+44 (0)1235 425 840
FOLLOW US:
www.oxford.space
@OxfordSpace
Search for “Oxford Space”
Thank you,
Michael LowethBusiness Development Manager
