Ariel is a major upcoming ESA mission that will study the formation and evolution of exoplanets and planetary systems.
Ariel-1 was the first in a series of five satellite which carried experiments designed to study the ionosphere and its relationship to solar radiation, including cosmic ray, solar...
Ariel 2, a British satellite, was the first satellite to be used for radio astronomy. It was launched on a Scout X-3 rocket in America by NASA.
Ariel 3 was the first all-British satellite to be launched. It conducted five experiments, including measuring galactic noise, electron temperatures and oxygen distribution in the Earth's atmosphere.
Ariel 4 continued the work of previous Ariel satellites, conducting five similar experiments.
Ariel 5 carried six experiment payloads, including research into X-rays and photons.
Developed in collaboration between the Pakistan and UK space sectors, the Badr-B microsatellite mission set out to advance Pakistan's small satellite technology, developing international links and to develop...
Beagle 2 was an exobiology lander designed to look for signs of life on Mars, as part of the European Space Agency Mars Express mission.
BILSAT-1 was a Turkish Earth observation satellite, built as part of the Disaster Monitoring Constellation, dedicated to disaster monitoring. BILSAT-1 studied land use, forestry, agriculture and urban development.
RAL Space scientists are investigating how technology could be used to create a man-made magnetosphere around the “Red Planet”.
RAL Space are developing a quantum sensor system to address data gaps in climate and atmospheric modelling.
A 81.5 MHz radio array was repaired and upgraded in 1989 in a collaboration between Cambridge, RAL and the Space Environment Laboratory (NOAA, Boulder, USA) for routine use...
NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) has been relying on RAL Space camera electronics for more than a decade in orbit.
A joint NASA-ESA-ASI mission, orbiting Saturn for 13 years, studying Saturn's atmosphere and moons.
Observing space weather with a hybrid satellite carrying several payloads.
Chandrayaan-1 was the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO's) first mission to the Moon, launched in October 2008 on board a Polar Satellite launch vehicle from the Satish Dhawan...
Chilbolton Observatory strengthens the UK's space domain awareness capabilities by providing high-precision tracking data directly to the National Space Operations Centre.
Cluster II is an ESA mission to study the Earth's magnetosphere and the way in which the solar wind affects the Earth. It consists of four identical spacecraft...
An ESA Earth observation mission that will investigate the relationship between clouds, aerosols and radiation and their combined effects on the Earth's climate system.
The European-Japanese Earth Cloud Aerosol and Radiation Explorer (EarthCARE) mission is shedding new light onto the role that clouds and aerosols play in regulating Earth’s climate.
In 2021, we enhanced our online outreach programme to make it more accessible to young people who weren’t previously aware of the opportunities in the UK space sector.
ENVISAT was an ESA environmental remote sensing mission that carried 10 instruments. It took thousands of images of Earth and produced data used to monitor global warming and...
ERS-1 was the first in a series of ESA Earth Observation satellites in the European Earth Observation program. ERS-1 primarily monitored ocean and ice levels using all-weather high...
ExoMars (2016) was a combination of the Trace Gas Orbiter and the landing Demonstrator Module Schiaparelli. They flew to Mars in search of methane and other trace gases.
The Gaia spacecraft is surveying one percent of our galaxy by detecting and measuring the motion of each star. From this, it will build the largest and most...
GIOVE-A was the first test for Galileo, the first positioning, navigation and timing system for civil use consisting of a constellation of 24 satellites. GIOVE-A tested critical Galileo...
Herschel was an infrared space observatory built and operated by ESA. It covered the wavelength range from 70-700 micrometres and was cooled by 2500 litres of liquid helium.
Technology developed at RAL Space has been licensed to Spire Global and is set to transform how we approach weather forecasting technology.
The Centre for Environmental Data Science (CEDA) has provided data to scientists on how COVID-19 lockdowns affected the levels of air pollution in countries around the world.
NASA's infrared observatory which serves thousands of astronomers worldwide.
The Spectroscopy Group at RAL Space has developed a powerful tool for tracking carbon capture efficiency in real time, enabling data required to optimise storage technologies at scale.
MicroCarb, developed in partnership between the UK Space Agency and French Space Agency CNES, is Europe's first dedicated carbon dioxide (CO₂) monitoring satellite, marking a major milestone in...
RAL Space supported instrument development and environmental test for Europe's first satellite dedicated to monitoring atmospheric carbon dioxide - the main greenhouse gas responsible for climate change.
A project developed to engage the public with the breadth of work behind real space missions has since become a popular staple in our public engagement programme.
A near-real time system developed by RAL Space can track the worldwide occurrence of pollutant plumes and their dispersion, which could inform air quality assessments, planning and scientific...
Ground-based measurements of aerosols from the 2019 peat fires in Indonesia will combine with satellite data to improve air quality monitoring.
A CEDA-led project has published recommendations, identified constraints, and recognised opportunities affecting sustainability across digital research infrastructure.
The Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere (PUNCH) mission is a NASA small-explorer (SMEX) mission: its primary science goal is to fully discern the cross-scale physical processes...
RAL Space have supported the demonstration of a new band of satellite communications, paving the way for much faster data transfer rates that could connect remote communities and...
Quantum technology is monitoring the impacts of space weather, supporting better prediction to protect infrastructure on the ground.
RAL Space has played an important role in the science and technology behind NASA’s Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere (PUNCH) mission.
RAL Space is part of a global network providing accurate measurements of atmospheric greenhouse gases, helping to ensure international agreements on emissions targets can be met.
For over 20 years, a small team within RAL Space has planned and executed science operations for the four Cluster II spacecraft.
RAL Space scientists have developed a multi-year dataset of global methane concentrations, which will help understanding relationships between methane and climate change.
The SOHO mission, a joint programme between the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA, studies the Sun’s interior, the Sun’s atmosphere and the solar wind.
The Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) is a NASA mission which has been observing the Sun since 2010.
Solar Orbiter is designed to identify the origins and causes of the solar wind, the heliospheric magnetic field, the solar energetic particles, the transient interplanetary disturbances, and the...
RAL Space is developing SOLSTICE: an miniaturised instrument aiming to plug critical gaps in Earth observation data.
SpeQtre aims to test communications so secure that any attempt to intercept them is instantly detectable – a fundamental law of physics that makes the technology unhackable even...
RAL Space is leading the UK's role in a cubesat mission testing 'unhackable' quantum technology, paving the way for secure data in a future shaped by quantum computing.
Stellat 5, also known as Atlantic Bird 3 and Eutelsat 5 West A, broadcast satellite television, radio, other digital data and IP services across five continents.
The STEREO mission studies the structure and evolution of solar storms as they emerge from the Sun.
Launched in 2020, the SWIMMR programme develops instruments, models, and tools to improve UK space weather monitoring ...
A team at RAL Space is changing the way tree populations can be assessed from the sky, determining whether they're affected by disease, pests, or climate.
A RAL Space spin-out company has provided Scottky diode technology for ESA's JUICE mission.
The EO Data Hub platform is enhancing decision-making processes across sectors by integrating high-quality, space derived data.
In July 2023, the UK-built Aeolus satellite made history when mission controllers successfully guided its return to Earth.
ESA's Vigil mission will monitor our active and unpredictable Sun to protect vital infrastructure on Earth, in space as well as space explorers from its violent outbursts.
RAL Space have co-led a telescope upgrade that will help answer questions about how galaxies form and evolve.
RAL Space has contributed to an instrument series that has provided continuous surface temperature data for over 40 years.
