A project involving researchers from the UK has been selected by NASA for a pioneering mission to explore the history and evolution of the universe.
A 178-year-old mystery surrounding one of the earliest recorded examples of space weather affecting technology has been solved by an international team of scientists.
A new opportunity for ambitious space scale-ups to access expertise, facilities and support that can accelerate growth.
The RAL Space Early Careers Conference brings together the early career community to build connections, celebrate achievements and explore the future of space together.
The Appleton Space Conference brings together the thinkers, innovators, creators and leaders to share the latest advances in space science and technology.
A tiny UK-developed satellite, roughly the size of a small carry-on suitcase, could help answer one of the biggest questions in cosmology: what happened in the roughly 150...
When the Moon’s shadow swept across the UK during the 1999 total solar eclipse, scientists saw an opportunity. With help from hundreds of volunteers, they turned the event...
Operational control of the SpeQtre cubesat has been transferred from RAL Space to Singaporean mission partner SpeQtral, marking the start of the mission’s quantum experimentation phase.
New forecasting tools developed through a £20 million UK research programme are protecting flights, GPS navigation and the UK electricity grid from severe space weather.
Dr Sarah Beardsley will move on from her role as RAL Space Director at the end of October 2026.
An exciting opportunity to join us online or in-person to celebrate the 2026 solar eclipse.
His Majesty King Charles III visited the UK's largest space cluster today to officially open the UK Space and Defence Gateway, an initiative aligned with the principles of...
RAL Space are developing a quantum sensor system to address data gaps in climate and atmospheric modelling.
Results from a UK collaboration mark a step towards building large scale quantum sensors, as the country's first large scale atom interferometer moves closer to reality.
RAL Space has contributed to an instrument series that has provided continuous surface temperature data for over 40 years.
RAL Space is developing SOLSTICE: an miniaturised instrument aiming to plug critical gaps in Earth observation data.
NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) has been relying on RAL Space camera electronics for more than a decade in orbit.
The EO Data Hub platform is enhancing decision-making processes across sectors by integrating high-quality, space derived data.
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.
The Ariel payload has cleared a major test milestone, paving the way for the mission that will uncover the secrets of over 1000 alien worlds.
RAL Space has played an important role in the science and technology behind NASA’s Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere (PUNCH) mission.
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.
A landmark space mission built on UK research excellence is set to accelerate progress in quantum communications, as the pioneering “Satellite Platform for Optical Quantum Communications” (SPOQC) launches.
Climate scientists are set to gain unprecedented insights into global warming as the UK prepares to build and test Europe's first far-infrared Earth observation satellite.
A shoebox-sized sensor developed by Spire Global Ltd in collaboration with RAL Space has been launched into orbit, marking a significant step towards more accurate and timely weather...
Technology developed at RAL Space has been licensed to Spire Global and is set to transform how we approach weather forecasting technology.
While quantum computing promises breakthroughs in many areas, from medicine to finance, it also threatens to crack the encryption that currently protects everything from online banking to national...
Launched in 2020, the SWIMMR programme develops instruments, models, and tools to improve UK space weather monitoring ...
On 4 December 2025, the Appleton Space Conference returns to showcase advances in space science and technology.
Chilbolton Observatory strengthens the UK's space domain awareness capabilities by providing high-precision tracking data directly to the National Space Operations Centre.
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.
A pioneering satellite mission to demonstrate ultra-secure quantum communication from space has been shipped from the UK for launch this November.
STFC has signed a groundbreaking agreement with Monash University to expand opportunities for Indigenous Australian students in space science education.
Five UK-made quantum sensors are being installed across the UK to help scientists understand the effects of extreme space weather on technology and national infrastructure.
Quantum technology is monitoring the impacts of space weather, supporting better prediction to protect infrastructure on the ground.
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.
The first satellite in a series of six that will launch over the next fifteen years takes flight early on 13 August as part of an international project...
Millions of people worldwide are set to benefit from more accurate climate data as the groundbreaking MicroCarb satellite begins its journey to space.
Two pioneering Earth observation missions are set to revolutionise severe weather and air quality monitoring across Europe and northern Africa.
RAL Space will be supporting two exhibits at this prestigious annual event. Next week, colleagues from RAL Space will head to London for the Royal Society’s Summer Science...
Solar Orbiter, the European Space Agency-led mission with RAL Space involvement, is the first spacecraft to image the Sun’s polar regions from outside the ecliptic plane.
ESA, Telesat and RAL Space have successfully established a Q-band link with a satellite in Low Earth Orbit.
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...
The UK–New Zealand Space Science and Innovation Partnership is pleased to launch an Open Call for collaborative Earth observation demonstrator projects.
Space enthusiasts and families across the UK will have the chance to contribute directly to climate science through an upgraded cloud-spotting project launched today.
NASA’s PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) mission has successfully captured its first images of the Sun’s outer atmosphere and solar wind. Now, RAL Space is...
Researchers have peered back in time to find what appears to be a population of ‘hidden’ galaxies that could hold the key to unlocking some of the Universe’s...
The National Satellite Test Facility (NSTF) has hosted the UK’s first tests designed to simulate the intense acoustic environment of rocket launch.
Following successful launch in the early hours of Wednesday morning (12 March 2025) UK time, the PUNCH spacecraft are poised to begin their two-year mission to study the...
Teams in Oxfordshire have played a crucial role in a pioneering NASA mission launching this week, set to transform our understanding of the Sun’s atmosphere and space weather.
Launched on 10 February 2020, the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Solar Orbiter mission has brought scientists closer to the Sun than any mission before. RAL Space is celebrating...
A new national facility set to boost the UK’s thriving Earth observation sector with access to world-leading instrumentation and expertise is open for business.
For 20 years, the Appleton Space Conference has been at the heart of the UK’s space sector, uniting industry leaders, researchers and innovators to highlight the latest achievements...
At the special 20th anniversary of the Appleton Space Conference, academic and business leaders from across the space sector will join to celebrate the latest research and developments...
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.
For over 20 years, a small team within RAL Space has planned and executed science operations for the four Cluster II spacecraft.
A 2-million-mph galaxy collision has been observed in new detail thanks to WEAVE – a cutting-edge upgrade to the William Herschel Telescope (WHT) led by RAL Space and...
A study involving RAL Space scientists has been selected by NASA as one of two proposals they are considering for a $1 billion astrophysics mission.
Preparations are underway for this Sunday, when Salsa, the first of four satellites making up ESA’s Cluster mission, will re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere after over 24 years in...
RAL Space is leading three of seven projects making up a programme to support rapid development of innovative Earth observation instruments monitoring the climate and marine environment in...
Developed by the Open University with support from RAL Space, ProSPA will fly to the Moon as part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative.
Artificial Intelligence experts are being challenged to help tackle one of astronomy’s most complex and important data analysis problems.
DSIT Secretary of State Peter Kyle has announced a £33m programme of national space projects, including three led by RAL Space, on the opening day of Farnborough Airshow.
The first Sentinel-5 instrument has left RAL Space for integration onto the MetOp-SG A satellite, where it will contribute to improved monitoring of air quality, changes in the...
The European Space Agency’s EarthCARE satellite, which is set to revolutionise understanding of how clouds and aerosols affect our climate, was launched yesterday evening from the Vandenberg Space...
RAL Space has been awarded “Corporate Team of the Year” and attended a student graduation ceremony in recognition of our public engagement work with the Jon Egging Trust.
The UK’s first “one-stop shop” for large satellite testing has officially opened its doors and is set to welcome its first customers.
RAL Space is leading 4 out of 12 Earth observation projects receiving funding as part of a package funded by the UK Space Agency.
An Earth observation mission concept led by RAL Space is one of four ideas shortlisted to become the 12th in the European Space Agency’s pioneering family of ‘Earth...
After almost 30 years in orbit and a 16-year working life, the influential European Remote Sensing 2 satellite (ERS-2) has completed atmospheric re-entry over the Pacific Ocean.
After spending just over a year at RAL Space, MicroCarb has been delivered from Oxfordshire to Toulouse, where it will stay before being shipped for launch.
The Peregrine Ion Trap Mass Spectrometer (PITMS) has returned to Earth after an eventful ten days in space, burning up on re-entry over the Pacific Ocean.
RAL Space's Head of Space Physics, Professor Ian McCrea, has been recognised with a prestigious Service Award by the Royal Astronomical Society for his “invaluable service to the...
In a significant step forward in lunar exploration, an instrument designed to observe the Moon’s atmosphere (exosphere) was successfully launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on 8th January 2024,...
This major space conference on Thursday 7th December 2023 celebrates the latest advancements in space science, Earth observation and technology development.
A RAL Space spin-out company has provided Scottky diode technology for ESA's JUICE mission.
RAL Space have co-led a telescope upgrade that will help answer questions about how galaxies form and evolve.
Ariel, the European Space Agency's (ESA) next-generation mission to observe the chemical make-up of distant extrasolar planets, has passed a major milestone after successfully completing its Payload Preliminary...
In July 2023, the UK-built Aeolus satellite made history when mission controllers successfully guided its return to Earth.
A CEDA-led project has published recommendations, identified constraints, and recognised opportunities affecting sustainability across digital research infrastructure.
A team at RAL Space has developed and successfully installed a powerful new tool to observe distant galaxies and enhance space weather forecasting.
RAL Space has delivered the last of 20 millimetre wave receivers developed for the Microwave Sounder and Microwave Imager instruments on board the MetOp-Second Generation satellites.
The UKRI SWIMMR-1 radiation monitor has successfully launched from California, boosting the UK’s space weather capabilities.
The National Satellite Test Facility (NSTF), the UK's new £116m centre for testing large, next-generation satellites, will soon welcome Airbus Defence and Space UK as its first customer.
The fourth Sea and Land Surface Temperature Radiometer (SLSTR-D) has left RAL Space and is on its way to be installed onto the Sentinel-3D satellite.
Observations of supermassive black holes at the centres of galaxies point to a likely source of dark energy – the ‘missing’ 70% of the Universe.
A major telescope upgrade has peered through to the distant Universe to reveal the spectra of a pair of galaxies 280 million light years away from Earth. The...
Microcarb, a joint British and French satellite dedicated to monitoring atmospheric carbon dioxide, has arrived at STFC RAL Space where its building and testing will be completed.
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.
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.
RAL Space scientists are investigating how technology could be used to create a man-made magnetosphere around the “Red Planet”.
RAL Space has shipped the remaining two of five CCD Camera Electronics systems for NASA’s Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere (PUNCH) mission.
220,000 tonnes of methane are likely to have been released from the ruptures in the Nord Stream gas pipelines, new satellite data has revealed.
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...
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.
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.
RAL Space scientists have developed a multi-year dataset of global methane concentrations, which will help understanding relationships between methane and climate change.
Ground-based measurements of aerosols from the 2019 peat fires in Indonesia will combine with satellite data to improve air quality monitoring.
The European Space Agency (ESA) have formally adopted Ariel, the first mission dedicated to study the nature, formation and evolution of exoplanets.
ESA’s historic Solar Orbiter mission has released its first and closest ever images of the Sun from a distance of just over 77 million kilometres.
Two weeks after launch, the SPICE instrument on board ESA’s Solar Orbiter spacecraft was turned on for the first time on Monday 24th February. The first signals from...
Today Cassini, makes its final dive into Saturn’s atmosphere. The spacecraft will be crushed and vaporised by the high pressure and temperature levels having completed its incredible mission.
