Mission and Requirements Planning
Ensuring that scientific objectives are translated into achievable engineering pathways, we define mission, payload and instrument-level requirements that reflect realistic environmental, thermal, mechanical, operational and performance constraints. Our teams bring together scientists, engineers and technical specialists to shape mission concepts and payload definitions, helping partners progress mission ideas with clarity and confidence.
Why work with us?
We transform scientific objectives into structured, achievable requirements – assessing feasibility, design options and the technical foundations that lead to mission success.
Our multidisciplinary engineering, technology and science teams translate science goals into defined mission and instrument requirements, assessing feasibility and design options that support early mission studies and proposal activities.
Mission and instrument concept definition
We take high‑level science goals and translate them into credible mission and instrument concepts, underpinned by our expertise in science, technology and engineering.
Multidisciplinary feasibility assessment
Our systems, thermal, mechanical, optical, electronics, radiation and software engineers work together to evaluate early‑phase mission constraints through concept modelling and feasibility studies.
Technology and development planning
We evaluate technology and system interfaces, outlining development roadmap that allows innovative ideas to progress confidently into design, build and delivery.
Mission and instrument concept definition
We take high‑level science goals and translate them into credible mission and instrument concepts, underpinned by our expertise in science, technology and engineering.
Multidisciplinary feasibility assessment
Our systems, thermal, mechanical, optical, electronics, radiation and software engineers work together to evaluate early‑phase mission constraints through concept modelling and feasibility studies.
Technology and development planning
We evaluate technology and system interfaces, outlining development roadmap that allows innovative ideas to progress confidently into design, build and delivery.
Case Study Highlight
SPEQTRE
A collaboration between researchers in the UK and Singapore to build and fly a cubesat that can demonstrate transfer of quantum information. RAL Space acted as mission and systems lead, managing the satellite and providing the optics and photonics systems, along with the electronics control and data handling.
The mission has taken a radically different approach from traditional space projects, combining off-the-shelf products with cutting-edge technology through an experimental development process. This has enabled SpeQtre to progress from concept to orbit more quickly and at lower cost than comparable missions.
Key engineering expertise for mission and requirements planning
Systems Engineering
Our Systems Engineering team leads the early-stage translation of scientific aims into structured, traceable engineering requirements. They establish the architecture, feasibility boundaries and technical logic that will guide the entire mission lifecycle.
Key activities and experience:
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- Requirement derivation from science goals and stakeholder needs
- Early mission concept development and modelling
- Multidisciplinary trade studies across mass, power, thermal, optical and data domains
- Planning model philosophies and verification pathways for later phases
Thermal Engineering
Supporting from the very beginning of a mission, helping to define realistic temperature, stability and orbit‑driven constraints. This early involvement ensures that science performance is achievable and that key uncertainties in environment, detector behaviour and thermal interfaces are addressed before design work begins. The team has shaped requirement sets for missions ranging from cryogenic infrared instruments to high‑flux solar instruments.
Key activities and experience:
- Early definition of detector and instrument thermal requirements
- Orbit and environmental modelling to support requirement choices and concept feasibility
- Identification of thermal implications for science performance, power and mass budgets
Mechanical Engineering
Key activities and experience:
- Creation of conceptual 3D CAD layouts to explore viable instrument geometries
- Early assessment of thermo‑mechanical effects and interface design considerations.
Optical Engineering
Our Optical Engineering team evaluates whether proposed telescope, imaging or spectrometer concepts are viable. They examine early optical geometries, alignment needs, stability requirements and performance budgets to ensure the instrument concept can meet its science goals. Their early input shapes realistic optical architectures and identifies constraints long before detailed design.
Key activities and experience:
- Early assessment of telescope and spectrometer feasibility
- Optical budget evaluation, including throughput and stability considerations
- Identification of alignment, stray‑light and contamination risks
- Support for shaping viable optical configurations at the concept stage
Electronics Engineering
Assessing the feasibility of detector electronics, power systems, data‑handling demands and component availability. Their early analysis identifies power, mass and data‑rate constraints, supporting realistic system‑level requirements. They help shape electronic architectures for instruments expected to operate in demanding thermal and radiation environments.
Key activities and experience:
- Early feasibility assessment of power, mass, and data budgets
- Identification of suitable detector readout, FPGA/ASIC and control architectures
- Component availability and radiation suitability assessments
- Early‑stage electronics architecture definition aligned to mission constraints
Software Engineering
The Software Engineering team provides early insight into onboard data processing, command‑and‑control flows and instrument‑software interfaces. Their input ensures software performance and resource requirements are understood early, preventing downstream conflicts.
Key activities and experience:
- Feasibility assessment of onboard processing and data flows
- Definition of early software architecture constraints
- Alignment of software needs with instrument and spacecraft capabilities
Interested in developing a mission with RAL Space?
Our teams can help to turn your science goals into a reality. Get in touch with us to learn how we can support your work.
