RAL Space Blogs

Blogs

Find out about the amazing science and technology development we do, straight from the people who are doing it.

Ultra-secure quantum communication from space: exciting milestones underway for SPEQTRE
The SPEQTRE CubeSat passed an exciting milestone recently as it embarked on its first tests in our facilities. This small but mighty mission will aim to demonstrate unique and incredibly secure quantum communication from space.
Exploiting quantum physics in the search for elusive cosmic phenomena
Our Quantum Sensors group are part of a new consortium, the Atom Interferometer Observatory and Network (AION), established to search for dark matter and mid-frequency gravitational waves. Anna Marchant and Mark Bason from the team tell us more!
Black holes may be the source of mysterious dark energy that makes up most of the Universe
By Dr Chris Pearson, Head of Astronomy Group at RAL Space, and Dr Dave Clements, Reader in Astrophysics at Imperial College London
Interview with Dr Sarah Beardsley
The UK space sector is booming in 2023. Dr Sarah Beardsley, who was appointed to the role of director at RAL Space last summer after 22 years with the organisation, is particularly enthusiastic about what’s to come this year.
40 years on: The Infrared Astronomical Telescope
Launched in January 1983 – 40 years ago this month – the Infrared Astronomical Telescope (IRAS) was the first space telescope to study the sky in infrared light.
Start Me Up! – First satellites to be launched from UK soil
2023 is already off to an exciting start, with the first orbital satellite launch from UK soil set to take place this evening.
My summer placement at RAL Space: Ben Keeble, project manager
In this blog post, Ben Keeble describes his experience on a summer placement with RAL Space’s Radiometry Group.
IOP Award Winner: Mark Anderson
We speak to senior technician Mark Anderson, who has earned a prestigious Technical Skills Award from the Institute of Physics (IOP). These awards recognise the significant contributions that technicians make to their industries.
Artemis I: The latest lunar landmark!
Excitement is brewing among the global space community, as the first mission in NASA’s ambitious Artemis programme is set to launch in just a few days’ time.
Professor Chris Mutlow: a career with RAL Space
After 36 years supporting ambitious projects and inspiring science at RAL Space, including 7 years leading the team as Director, Professor Chris Mutlow will be retiring later this month.
Contributing to net zero ambitions
RAL Space is involved with a range of UK and international projects contributing to net zero ambitions. We take a look at some of them in this blog post.
The Space Pi Project
Third-year Aerospace Engineering students Holly, Abu, and Alex from the University of Birmingham tell us about their visit to RAL Space to test their Raspberry Pi model space payloads.
Solar Orbiter begins its science mission phase
Dr Andrzej Fludra and Dr Alessandra Giunta are part of the team behind Solar Orbitar's Spectral Imaging of the Coronal Environment (SPICE) instrument. In this article, they explain the importance of the recent close-up images of the Sun captured by SPICE.
Astronomy beyond Webb – the next generation of telescopes
As the successor to Hubble, the James Webb Space Telescope will be hugely important but there are a host of space and ground-based telescopes lined up to help us observe the universe in new and exciting ways.
From the archive: Testing the Mid Infra-Red Instrument for the Webb Telescope
To help illustrate the part that STFC staff have played in the Webb Telescope, we are highlighting an article from our archive describing the start of the testing MIRI underwent at RAL Space.
My graduate placement at RAL Space: Sofia Fuster Almenar, Space Systems Engineer
Since 2002, STFC’s graduate scheme has recruited over 450 graduates, many of which have remained employed at STFC. In this blog post, Sofia Fuster Almenar from STFC’s Technology Department discusses her experience on her graduate placement at RAL Space.
Webb Telescope: Worth the wait!
Astronomers, scientists, and engineers around the world are eagerly awaiting a new outlook on our universe as the launch of the world's largest space telescope draws closer.
From summer internships to graduate programme: Callum McDonnell, Mechanical Engineer
I’ve had the amazing opportunity to intern with STFC twice; first in 2018 as a Mechanical Design Engineer at ISIS, and then in summer 2020 as a Satellite Systems Engineer at RAL Space.
Bigger is always better… when we’re talking about telescopes
Chris Pearson is Astronomy Group Leader at RAL Space and part of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) science data processor team. Following the inaugural meeting of the SKA Observatory Council, Chris shared his excitement about working on the SKA project.
LGBTQ+ Network Meetings at RAL Space
The LGBTQ+ Network meets at RAL Space and is part of an STFC wide group that is also open to staff from across Harwell Campus, Culham Science Centre and the whole of UKRI. Group members can attend in person or join via Zoom.
Not sure when to hold your summer barbeque? A new weather instrument may hold the key.
Tom Lacey, Business Development Manager for Space Exploration, Remote Sensing Instrumentation and Data Curation shares how new technology currently being developed at RAL Space promises to add valuable data to weather forecasting.
Award winning paper highlights new technological capabilities in weather forecasting
David Cuadrado-Calle is a Radio Frequency Engineer in RAL Space’s Millimetre Wave Technology Group working on the MetOp Second Generation satellite series. David was recently recognised with a U.R.S.I. 2020 Young Scientist Award.
The Mammoth has Arrived!
Dr Sarah Nash is the Business Development Manager for the National Satellite Test Facility. She explains how it felt to be waiting at home to hear that the newest addition to the facility, an enormous space test chamber, had been safely installed.
CloudCatcher is a beautiful new citizen science project on the Zooniverse app: here’s why you should take part
Caroline Cox is a Research Scientist in the Earth Observation and Atmospheric Science Division at RAL Space.
DIY astrophotography: how I observe the universe from my back garden
Ben is an Electronics Engineer in the Imaging Systems Division at RAL Space. His interest in astrophotography has led him to contribute to international collaborative projects in the space industry.
This is why gender diversity matters in the space sector - according to our Head of Space Engineering and Technology
Dr Sarah Beardsley is the Head of the Space Engineering and Technology Division at RAL Space and a champion for diversity in the space industry. Sarah reflects on our efforts to improve gender diversity and why valuing everyone matters.
Happy 30th Birthday Hubble!
Hubble is turning 30. But what does the next generation of space telescopes have to offer?
SKA and the problem of processing all that data
Chris Pearson is Astronomy Group Leader at RAL Space and part of the SKA Science Data Processor Team. He talks about how his team are trying to solve the problem of big data from the new generation of ground based telescopes.
Creating a new Girlguiding and Scout Challenge
Kate is an Environmental Data Scientist in the Centre for Environmental Data Analysis (CEDA), which is based within RAL Space, and led a team of graduates to create the new challenge.
Looking after Sentinel-3 for climate and weather monitoring
Caroline Cox is a Research Scientist in the Earth Observation and Atmospheric Science Division at RAL Space.
Professor Richard Harrison reflects on solar science
Through an active programme of mission conception, acquisition, development and operation, RAL Space has been at the forefront of studies of the Sun for decades.
Using space engineering to reduce food waste in India
TRANSSITioN is a multi-disciplinary project to investigate food waste in the vegetable supply chain in India. Currently about 40% fresh fruit and vegetables in India are wasted, in part due to the challenges in transporting them in such a hot environment.
“Cobra” – space weather becomes a political issue
Professor Mike Hapgood is a space weather scientist at RAL Space.
My placement year at RAL Space: Manni Gill, Communications Assistant
Hi I’m Manni and I study Biochemistry at the University of Manchester. For the past 12 months I’ve been working in the Communications and Outreach department of RAL Space as a Communications Assistant.
My placement year at RAL Space: Tommy Godfrey, Software Engineer
I am a Computer Science student at Nottingham Trent University and have been a placement student this year at RAL Space. I work at The Centre for Environmental Data Analysis (CEDA) as a Software Engineer.
My placement year at RAL Space: Jai Chandak, Electronic Engineer
My name is Jai and I’m studying Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Bath. I am a 2018/19 placement year student at RAL Space where I worked as an Electronic Engineer in the Imaging Systems Division.
How to name a telescopic instrument: from SHIRM to CHARM
The Astronomical Systems, Technology and Engineering Collaboration (ASTEC) Project has been running for just over a year now and I have been working on the instrument for the Large Millimeter Telescope (LMT) for nearly ten months.
From Mars to medical care: the applications of laser spectroscopy
Damien Weidmann is Head of the RAL Space Laser Spectroscopy Group, who specialise in developing unique spectroscopic techniques. He discusses his role in being part of these innovative technologies and the versatility of space research.
Working for RAL Space: 4600 metres above sea level, 8000 kilometres away from home
Eimear Gallagher has been curious about the workings of the universe since first seeing the Perseids meteor shower when she was five years old.