Space heritage
Since the early days of the European space industry, ABSL Space Products has consistently demonstrated its capabilities in the field of space, from research and development through to the manufacture of flight hardware and the provision of testing and other services to industry.
The Early Days 1960-1979
ABSL Space Products developed from activities within the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) in the late 1960’s. Research into nuclear fusion led to a world-class understanding of energetic particle beams. When the organisation began a process of diversification beyond its traditional field of nuclear technology research and development, it was realised that such particle beams had applications in the propulsion of spacecraft. A separate business entity was established to develop this technology and it led to many of the key patents for what are now known as ion-thrusters or xenon ion-propulsion systems (XIPs).
This activity culminated with the design, development and testing of the T5 10mN xenon propelled thruster, intended for station keeping on GEO communication satellites. As a government entity, UKAEA had obligations to divest this technology for industrial exploitation and this was the routes of the technology now found on ESA’s Artemis spacecraft and many other commercial geostationary spacecraft. The development of many other novel electric propulsion technologies originated at ABSL, such arc-jet thrusters and RF thrusters, and have subsequently been utilised in Space.
The 1980’s
Innovation has been a feature of ABSL’s entire history in Space. In the 1980’s, ABSL’s expertise formed a vital component of the US Strategic Defence Initiative formulated by Ronald Reagan in 1983. Under the largest contract placed outside of the USA by the SDI, ABSL developed a directed energy defensive weapon: the Neutral Particle Beam Space Experiment (NPBSE).
By the late 1980’s commercial pressure was being placed upon UKAEA to commercially exploit the vast array of intellectual property that it was generating and a separate business was formed in 1988 called ‘AEA Technology’, which later became privatised by the UK Government and listed on the London stock exchange.
The space business continued to flourish in this new environment and exploited many unique capabilities. Expertise in RF modelling and space structures led to the development of a novel deployable UHF antenna, combining both transmit and receive functions in a single antenna. Such antennas were supplied Skynet 4 Stage 2 spacecraft that were all successfully deployed and operated in orbit during the 1990s.
The 1990’s
The commercialisation of Lithium-ion battery technology was the result of collaboration between AEA Technology, who held key patents for cathode materials, and Sony Corporation of Japan. By the time that AEA Technology was privatised in 1996, 95% of all portable electronic equipment (computers, cell-phones, PDA’s etc) containing Lithium-ion cells were generating licence revenue for AEA Technology and Sony.
Lithium-ion battery technology offered many advantages over other battery chemistries used in space applications, aside from huge mass savings. Long-term testing of Lithium-ion under space conditions was begun in the early 1990’s and ABSL now has the largest database of space test data of any supplier. Subsequently ABSL has become the leading supplier of space batteries.
ABSL’s skill at developing technologies for space applications was called upon by Mullard Space Science Laboratory (MSSL), a spin-off business owned by University College London. MSSL had developed a method for performing highly precise in-flight calibration of infrared optical instruments. The concept was proven through the highly successful ATSR instrument flown on ERS-1. As a direct consequence of the precision of the Calibration System, it has been possible to measure properties such as Sea Surface Temperatures to unprecedented degrees of precision.
ABSL developed a series of world-leading in-flight calibration systems which have subsequently flown on missions such as ENVISAT, METOP, and MSG as well as ground based systems used for the ground calibration of space instruments.
Current
In October 2006, AEA Technology divested several of its smaller businesses to a private equity group and the Space business began to trade under the name ABSL Space Products. The spirit of innovation and delivery continues with development of new technologies for optical instruments and next generation power products for space applications.