Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) - Experts & Thought Leaders

HydroGNSS is the second mission in the ESA Scout program, demonstrating Earth Observation science with a small budget and rapid schedule.  HydroGNSS is a 55kg satellite that will take measurements of key hydrological climate variables, including soil moisture, freeze-thaw state over permafrost, inundation, and wetlands, and above-ground biomass.  GNSS Reflectometry It uses a technique called GNSS Reflectometry that exploits signals from Global Navigation Satellites Systems as radar signal sources.  These signals reflect off the land, ice, and ocean and are used by a low-power receiver in Low Earth Orbit to yield important geophysical measurements.   Online Workshop Information SSTL is holding an online workshop to introduce the HydroGNSS mission, the science behind the retrievals SSTL is holding an online workshop to introduce the HydroGNSS mission, the science behind the retrievals, the products anticipated at Data Levels 2 and 2, their relationship to Essential Climate Variables (ECVs), and the plans for calibration and validation of the results.  The workshop will discuss lessons learned from previous reflectometry missions, and how future HydroGNSS products could be accommodated alongside other data into climate and meteorological models to improve hydrological and climate knowledge. Sustainable observation technique This workshop is aimed at potential users of HydroGNSS measurements for climate and meteorological models, researchers working in complementary EO missions, and those with an interest in GNSS reflectometry as a future Earth observation technique sustainable through the use of small satellite constellations.  

The successful launch of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) was a long-awaited event for the Optics team here at SSTL because way back in 2006, they started work on the Integral Field Unit (IFU) for an instrument called NIRSpec (Near InfraRed Spectrograph), one of four science instruments on board the mission and SSTL have been waiting patiently since then for launch.  Optics module The optics module SSTL supplied for JWST is highly complex with over 90 mirrors precisely aligned into a module The optics module SSTL supplied for JWST is highly complex with over 90 mirrors precisely aligned into a module approximately the size of a small shoebox, and it's a key part of NIRSpec.  The IFU takes a 1mm2 sample of the scene image and slices the square image into strips which are reassembled into a long linear virtual slit image as input to the spectrometer for projection onto a matrix detector array to be read.   Infrared light detection JWST can detect infrared light generated by galaxies as they formed more than 13.5 billion years ago, in the aftermath of the Big Bang. Ultraviolet and visible light emitted by those very first luminous objects has been stretched by the universe’s continual expansion into “redshift” infrared light.   JWST is designed to detect this infrared light and scientists will use the data to study the origin and evolution of planets and other bodies in the solar system which is too old and too distant for Hubble to observe.  Follow-on mission The $10bn James Webb Space Telescope is the follow-on mission to the Hubble Space Telescope and will be positioned 1.5 million kilometers away between the Earth and Sun where the gravitational forces are canceled.  Approximately 2 weeks after launch, JWST will unfold from its launch configuration into its operational configuration with a heat shield that is nearly the size of a tennis court shielding a 6.5m telescope, the biggest telescope ever launched into Space. The telescope is formed after unfurling a set of “petal” mirrors.  State-of-the-art monolithic metal mirrors The IFU project provided the opportunity for SSTL to utilize state-of-the-art monolithic metal mirrors with complex forms made by single point diamond machining, the whole instrument except for the legs being made from a single billet of aluminum alloy.  The design required mastering the problems arising from working at cryogenic temperatures (32Kelvin). The project was initially managed by acclaimed space scientist and TV presenter Dr. Maggie Aderin Pocock. SSTL supplied the IFU to NIRSPEC prime, Airbus. JWST is an international collaboration between NASA and its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and the Canadian Space Agency. 

Satellite Vu signs a deal with Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. to build the world’s first high-resolution thermal imaging satellite. British scale-up Satellite Vu, an Earth observation company that offers the highest-resolution thermal imagery and insights, has formally signed a contract with Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. (SSTL) to build its first satellite. The new satellite is due to be launched into low earth orbit in Q4 2022. The satellite will collect thermal data day and night about both the natural and the built environment of any location on the planet. Measuring heat signature The full constellation will have the ability to measure the heat signature of any building anywhere multiple times a day, enabling Satellite Vu to derive new insights in real-time about building heat loss, activity, and insulation.  The satellite has been designed with a 3.5m resolution mid-wave infrared imager with video capability The deal comes following Satellite Vu’s £15m series A funding round, and an additional £1m grant from the UK Space Agency’s National Space Innovation Programme (NSIP). The satellite has been designed with a high resolution 3.5m resolution mid-wave infrared imager with video capability. Added advantages The satellite video generation capability adds unique advantages over traditional imagery, allowing the detection of highly dynamic features in scenes to be provided and extracted, such as 3D profiles, movement tracking, and speed measurement useful for a range of applications relating to human activity, including defense and security and disaster monitoring. The satellite and applications development has been supported by the UK Space Agency, via two National Space Innovation Grants and a European Space Agency (ESA) General Support Technology Programme (GSTP) grant. Real-time temperature profiles Our insights will enable any business to obtain an independent, ongoing assessment of their energy wastage"  Anthony Baker, CEO, Satellite Vu said, “After months of perfecting and developing the core technology, we’re excited to have formally signed this agreement with Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd to build the first of our seven planned satellites which will offer near real-time high-resolution temperature profiles of cities around the world. Satellite Vu will become the thermometer of the world.” “With the climate change emergency reaching critical levels, our insights will enable any business, building owner, or government on the planet to obtain an independent, ongoing assessment of their energy wastage and efficiency, as well as the ability to monitor water pollution.” Climate change mission “Getting access to this data will enable organizations to take immediate action to improve their green credentials, as well as giving shareholders and investors a unique view into their company’s ESG performance.” SSTL’s Managing Director, Phil Brownnett, said, “I am extremely pleased to be partnering with the UK start-up Satellite Vu. Our partnership is an ideal blend of SSTL’s pioneering approach and years of small satellite expertise with Satellite Vu’s entrepreneurial approach and strong business case. It’s a game-changing climate change mission and SSTL is very proud to be involved.” Real-time data on climate change Elizabeth Seaman, Head of the National Space Innovation Programme at the UK Space Agency, said, “The National Space Innovation Programme is supporting our most ambitious innovators who are developing first-of-a-kind technologies to help solve some of our greatest challenges.” “This exciting partnership between SSTL and Satellite Vu will develop the first of a series of new satellites to provide real-time data on the energy efficiency of buildings, an important source of information that will help organizations respond to climate change.”