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The project “Advancing metal optics technology for space systems” aims to develop metal optics, enabling higher performance, and more compact instrument concepts for Earth Observation and for exploration missions. In total, nine research and development projects will be supported with £2.1 million total funding.
A new funding injection from the UK Space Agency will boost UK-based space technologies, focusing on innovations such as harnessing solar power for reusable spacecraft, electrothermal propulsion and extreme ultraviolet imaging.
This is the first round of investment from the agency’s Enabling Technologies Programme, part of the National Space Innovation Programme dedicated to supporting UK companies breaking ground in technologies to enhance spaceflight capabilities.
The £2.1 million total is divided between nine projects and will be followed by a series of funding rounds open to commercial businesses, academia and not-for-profit organisations promising cutting-edge technologies that will take UK space capabilities to new heights.
UK Space Agency Director of Investment, Craig Brown, said:
These projects showcase the diversity of skills in space-related science and engineering that are growing all over the UK.
By supporting innovations in emerging and new areas of space technology, such as space-based solar power, extreme ultraviolet imaging, electrothermal propulsion and more, we ensure that the UK stays at the forefront of global advances in space, generating more business opportunities and inspiring more people about the many career options that this thriving sector offers.
The UK Space Agency funding will help support a collaborative project – “Advancing metal optics technology for space systems” – drawing together the expertise of researchers from Diamond Light Source, Durham University, and the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre from the University of Sheffield. The project has received a £250,000 funding boost, with the aims to develop metal optics, enabling higher performance, and more compact, instrument concepts for Earth Observation and for space exploration missions
Modern synchrotrons, such as Diamond, free-electron laser sources, and X-ray astronomy all demand ultra-high-quality X-ray mirrors to resolve many challenging X-ray applications. At Diamond Light Source, an in-house ion beam figuring (IBF) system has been developed to manufacture high-quality X-ray mirrors1, which is the first of its kind in the UK. The functionality of this figuring system has been greatly enhanced by integrating a novel metrology system, a laser Speckle Angular Metrology (SAM), developed by technical and scientific researchers at Diamond2.
This IBF system provides deterministic figuring with an accuracy at sub-nanometres level. While the system was developed primarily for synchrotron mirrors made of silicon, the UK Space Agency funding will enable Diamond to provide the expertise to extend this technique to develop metal mirrors for space applications.
The project will specifically draw together the expertise of Durham University (Single Point Diamond Turning [SPDT]), Diamond Light Source (IBF and SAM) and Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre from University Sheffield (Additive manufacturing).
The IBF system will be employed to produce ultra-high precision mirrors with nanometre form accuracy on metallic substrates to widen up the operational performances of metal mirror to shorter wavelengths. SAM will be used to test on the freeform surfaces and compared with alternative 3D freeform metrology involving point scanning.
Overall, Diamond’s contribution will enable correction of metal mirror surface errors, and it will open new routes for the development of next-generation high-quality X-ray mirrors for both synchrotron and astronomical applications.
If you have any questions about the project please contact Kawal Sawhney (kawal.sawhney@diamond.ac.uk) or Hongchang Wang (hongchang.wang@diamond.ac.uk).
Below is the full list of projects and funding awarded by the UK Space Agency in this funding injection.
Lancaster University (£240,000) - E-band traveling wave tubes for high throughput satellites - Design and creation of a high power, compact, low-cost E-band traveling wave tube amplifier to enable 5G and 6G high data transmission.
Surrey Space Centre, University of Surrey (£250,000) - Plasma torch rocket electrothermal thruster for space logistics (PLATOR) - Development of a new electrothermal propulsion system to enhance in-orbit servicing, manufacturing and spacecraft manoeuvring.
Swansea University (£250,000) - Levitated optomechanical technologies in space (LOTIS) - Development of a new class of sensors for levitated optics (storage and dispensing, capture and conditioning, and optical trapping – for applications such as space situational awareness.
University of Strathclyde (£250,000) - Micro LEDs for satellite quantum key distribution - Development integration of UV micro-LEDs to enable compact, low-power, robust sources for satellite quantum key distribution, which will support technology for encrypted communications.
Durham University (£250,000) - Advancing metal optics technology for space systems - This project aims to develop metal optics, enabling higher performance, more compact, instrument concepts for Earth Observation and for exploration missions.
Durham University (£190,000) - Looking up image slicers optimum capabilities in the extreme ultraviolet for space (LUCES) - Exploring image slicer technology in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) to develop the first ever EUV integral spectograph that could enable observations of the Sun and advance high energy astrophysics.
University of Southampton (£240,000) - Silicon photonic beam pointing for free space optical communications - Development of a novel beam steering chip for free-space optical communications, enabling fully solid-state communications.
Space Forge (£230,000) - Project Helios solar array - Development of a deployable and retractable solar array that could be used for space based solar power and returnable spacecraft.
Imperial College London (£200,000) - Cold spray manufacturing for space (COSMOS) - Development of a cold spray metal additive to help in-orbit servicing, manufacturing and exploration missions.
1. M. Hand, S. G. Alcock, M. Hillman, R. Littlewood, S. Moriconi, H. Wang, K. Sawhney, Advances in Metrology for X-Ray and EUV Optics VIII. Vol. 11109. SPIE, 2019.
2. H. Wang, S. Moriconi and K. Sawhney, Light: Science & Applications, 10, 195 (2021).
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