Space-Based Telescopes  

Our expertise extends to the development and utilisation of space-based telescopes. We have been actively involved in missions such as the James Webb Space Telescope, Hubble Space Telescope and the European Space Agency's Euclid mission. These missions have provided unprecedented views of distant galaxies and cosmic phenomena, advancing our understanding of the universe's history and composition.  

Our Centre for Advanced Instrumentation developed the unique NIRSpec Integral Field Unit (IFU) at the focal point of the James Webb Space Telescope for full-field spectroscopy of distant galaxies. 

Precision Optics Technology and Applications 

We are a world-leading ultra-precise optics manufacturer, offering a wide range of services for optical parts design, manufacturing and testing. We have developed unique capabilities in optical design, integration and machining that enable previously impossible projects to become reality. 

We can offer a wide range of metrology and testing capabilities including optical interferometry, non-contact 3D profilometry, surface roughness characterisation and precision CMM measurements. The metrology service can be offered as part of the total system design service or as a standalone metrology service for the precision measurement of customer produced parts. 

Free-Space Optical Communications

Free-space optical communications between orbiting satellites and the ground plays a big part in the future of global communications. We have a long heritage of free-space optics, building one of the first Adaptive Optics systems to mitigate the detrimental effects of the Earth’s turbulence for astronomy in the early 1990s. We now have transferred this experience to free-space optical communications.

We develop atmospheric propagation modelling tools and instrumentation to measure the optical channel and Adaptive Optics technology to mitigate optical turbulence. We can offer free-space optics joint research, training, consultancy and knowledge exchange programmes.

Space Situational Awareness

Sustainability in space can only be achieved through effective governance of space activities. This, in turn, can only be achieved through scalable and independent monitoring of the space environment. Everything, everywhere, and all of the time.

We are developing scalable, independent and academically rigorous instrumentation to detect, track and characterise objects in space using a large number of low-cost and small optical sensors.

This strongly links to work in our Responsible Space Innovation Centre, where we bring together experts in space technology, governance and business operations.