UK Ministry of Defense invests £1m in ‘wrapped-rib’ satellite technology

DIDCOT, United Kingdom – The cash injection will see Oxford Space Systems (OSS) develop its so-called “wrapped-rib” antenna technology for use in a variety of civil and defence applications. Developed in response to the high cost of putting payloads into space, the technology is based on a specialist carbon-fibre composite that can be launched in a compact, lightweight structure, but which unfolds to form a structure several metres across once in space. The investment, which will be used to scale up the technology, represents the largest contract placed with a first-time supplier by the MOD’s Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA). The ministry claims that it will make the UK the first European country with the capability of a flight-proven parabolic deployable antenna, reports The Engineer. Continue reading original article

The Intelligent Aerospace take:

January 30, 2019-The United Kingdom Ministry of Defense and Oxford Space Systems is taking an interesting approach - carbon fiber - to reduce weight in its "wrapped rib" satellite. The lightweight satellite intends to operate in low Earth orbit and use Synthetic Aperture Radar to provide real-time weather observation for civil and defense purposes.

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Jamie Whitney, Associate Editor
Intelligent Aerospace

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