Space missions

Azalea™ is our low Earth orbit, multi-sensor, multi-role satellite mission with powerful Radio Frequency (RF) capabilities. The system is designed to gather a wide range of data and analyse it in-orbit, using on-board machine learning to deliver intelligence wherever it’s needed.

The technology provided by Azalea will enable us to deliver advanced Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities – boosting the UK’s ability to understand threats and hazards in, from and through space.

We are collaborating with and investing in the space ecosystem to develop Azalea, supplementing our in-house capability to create, launch and operate end-to-end space missions.
 

Contact us about Azalea

Two Prometheus-2 cubesats were jointly designed by In-Space Missions and Airbus and Defence and Space for Dstl, constructed at In-Space Missions and launched in January 2023 on the UK's first orbital launch from Spaceport Cornwall.
 
The Mission
The launch from Newquay Airport on Cosmic Girl, a modified 747 aircraft, was the UK’s first ever orbital launch and was set to carry nine spacecraft into low Earth orbit (LEO). Launch failure occurred at some point during the firing of the rocket’s second stage engine and the mission did not achieve final orbit.
 
The Prometheus-2 cubesats were each the size of a cereal box and owned by Dstl on behalf of the Ministry of Defence, and co-funded by Airbus Defence and Space who designed them jointly with In-Space Missions.
 
The Prometheus-2 cubesats had a mass of 8.5kg and measured just 30cm X 20cm X 10cm. They were built by In-Space Missions to provide a test platform for sophisticated Earth imaging and radio signal monitoring (including GPS), paving the way for a more collaborative and connected space communication system with the UK’s combat allies. The cubesats each had separate equipment installed to test future concepts in support of the MOD’s ISTARI programme for future space-based intelligence and surveillance.
 
Cubesat 1 carried a hyperspectral imager and GPS receiver and Cubesat 2 carried two optical imaging cameras and a GPS receiver. Common to both spacecraft were remotely programmable payloads, through which all satellite instruments could be commanded, and utilising modern Software Defined Radio technology, the payloads would enable third party organisations to use the Prometheus 2 constellation to research or demonstrate techniques such as:

• Geolocation (of radiating entities)
• Space Domain Awareness
• In-orbit data processing (including AI)
• Interference monitoring
• Signal Gathering
• Alternate Navigation
• Inter-Satellite Communications

CONTACT US ABOUT prometheus-2

Faraday Phoenix was developed in less than 8 months and was the world’s first commercial rideshare satellite mission when it launched in July 2021 on Spaceflight’s SXRS5 Transporter 2 mission from Cape Canaveral, USA. The spacecraft carries payloads for 6 customers including Airbus, Lacuna, SatixFy and Aeternum as well In-Space’s own Babel payload.
 
Payload Details
The Babel payload is In-Space’s first incarnation of a future digital, uploadable payload offering within the Faraday service. This first generation is a high gain, wideband software defined radio with over 500 MHz of available bandwidth which enables a number of different applications to be uploaded and exercised – from tracking ship radars to creating heat maps of 4G mobile usage.

CONTACT US ABOUT FARADAY Phoenix

In-Space Mission's Faraday-1 cubesat was launched on a Rocket Lab Electron rocket in July 2020 from New Zealand, but the launch vehicle failed in its late ascent, losing Faraday-and several other satellites launching with Electron.

Faraday-1 failed in its late ascent and had been carrying payloads from several customers including Airbus Defence and Space, Kleos Space, Lacuna Space, the Space Environment Research Centre in Canberra, Canadensys Aerospace and Aeternum.

CONTACT US ABOUT Faraday-1