Log in
The GIOVE-A satellite, built by Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) based upon the University of Surrey's Space Centre research, was the first satellite launched to provide navigation and timing signals for Europe's Galileo constellation (a `European GPS').
Built in just 30 months against a hard deadline and at a fraction of the competing industry cost, GIOVE-A enabled Europe in 2008 to secure the rights to the key frequency bands critical to the operation of Galileo over the coming decades. GIOVE-A also provided the first precise timing transmissions from its 22,000 km Earth orbit with widespread impact through enabling European industry to build and test commercial consumer products for this market estimated at £90B from 2008 onwards.
A new broadcast system involving satellite plus cellular to allow TV and multimedia to be viewed on a handheld or in a car was first proposed by researchers at Surrey. The feasibility was demonstrated within an EU project run by Surrey and then taken to prototype stage via two other EU projects run by industry. A new standard was produced in DVB / ETSI and the EU let licenses for operation. A new company was formed (Solaris-Mobile) by two of Europe's major satellite operators (Eutelsat and SES) who launched a satellite and now operate the system. Investments of circa €200m were made by industry to create this new business.
Departmental research led to changes in how radiation forces on several classes of space vehicle (low earth orbit environmental measurement satellites and medium earth orbit navigation missions like GPS) are modelled by two NASA laboratories (Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Goddard Space Flight Centre). This includes NASA's adoption of a UCL model as an operational standard for Jason-1, which measured global sea level change from 2001 to 2013. Jason-1 measurements are a critical component of data supplied to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, thereby feeding into policy formulation seeking to mitigate the effects of climate change upon the entire population of Earth. The techniques also changed the way in which GPS satellite orbits are calculated, with products used by many millions of users.
The University of Southampton's distinguished body of work on the design of technology for gamma-ray detection and imaging has informed new counter-terrorism practices. Technological advances arising from the research have been crucial to delivering significant benefits in the fields of homeland security and nuclear safety — the latter particularly in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima disaster. A spin-out company, Symetrica, currently employs 26 people in the UK and the USA, has a forecast turnover of more than £10 million for 2013-14 and has been recognised as an example of best practice. It is a technological leader in the field of radioactive isotope identification.
The University of Surrey's Radiation and Medical Physics Group developed a technique used in radiotherapy applications in medicine and have played a significant role in extending its application to environmental nuclear decontamination. The key concept is to use polymeric gels as direct detectors of radiation to show visually the regions where radiation is being concentrated and the direction from which it comes. Two Surrey research contracts with the National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) culminated in the creation of a commercial radiation dosimeter known as the RadBall,® which offers the advantages of being portable, non-electrical, simple to use, and able to be remotely operated. Surrey's research is having an impact by shaping industrial practice in the decommissioning of radioactive waste in the UK and in the USA. The use of the RadBall® to detect radiation ensures the safety of workers and protects the general public. RadBall® has been used at the Sellafield nuclear processing facility, and licensing agreements and developments are underway with US government laboratories.
Research on Frequency Selective Surface (FSS) structures has led to major advances in the design and manufacture of the world's most advanced payload instrumentation for use in Earth observation satellites. This technology has provided the core element of the radiometer instrumentation needed for more accurate global weather forecasts and better understanding of climate change. The advances described have made it possible to combine all of the different functions of the MetOP-SG radiometer into one instrument, thereby halving the footprint of the satellite payload resulting in a [text removed for publication] cost saving.
Researchers at the University of Reading have developed and implemented ground and satellite-based techniques that improve the monitoring of impending volcanic eruptions and their aftermath. Our systems have been mainly used in collaboration with the Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO) and the local government civil protection committee on Montserrat. In July 2008 the early rescinding of a precautionary evacuation was made possible by these techniques, thereby minimising disruption and lost economic revenue. The deployment of a permanent, operational ground-based instrument on Montserrat provides a capability that will reassure inhabitants and the island's commercial sector of future timely warnings, thereby enhancing their quality of life and allowing companies to return to the island.