Edinburgh Space Testing Facility relaunches after major investment – UKRI

Following nine months of renovations and over £400,000 investment via the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), the Higgs Centre for Innovation’s space testing facility is reopening for business.

The upgrade is set to further enable the site to support early-stage technology start-ups and space small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as they begin their journey. It will provide access to cutting edge equipment and technical expertise to qualify space hardware.

Part of STFC, the Higgs Centre is co-located with the UK Astronomy Technology Centre (UK ATC) and the University of Edinburgh’s Institute for Astronomy at the Royal Observatory Edinburgh.

The site also hosts Scotland’s European Space Agency (ESA) Business Incubation Centre UK.

Increased testing capabilities

The main driver for the renovations was to make the facilities more accessible to a wider base of technology SMEs and space companies. This will enable it to meet the needs of the rapidly growing UK space sector, with more than 180 space companies located in Scotland.

This includes offering more equipment capable of performing a greater range of environmental testing. For example, for small satellites or other spacecraft, this could be checking the reliability of technology destined for orbit well in advance of launch.

The offering now includes:

• vibration
• thermal
• vacuum
• optical
• SpaceWire
• electromagnetic compatibility
• radio frequency testing

The new facilities were designed to specifications set by STFC and UK ATC. This ensures companies can test their products and technologies to the exacting standards set by NASA, ESA, various rocket launch providers and other partners.

Technical expertise

Higgs not only offers state-of-the-art equipment and clean rooms but also specialist advice and guidance, from helping to design test regimes through to post-test data analysis.

The facility has become an integral part of Scotland’s end-to-end space sector offering, supported by UK ATC’s world leading expertise in remote sensing instrumentation, system calibration, verification and testing.

Ultimately, users gain affordable and timely access to world class amenities, expert knowledge and workspaces to take their technologies and businesses to the next level.

This support, which would otherwise be out of reach to the kind of small business that makes up the majority of the space industry in the UK, reduces risks and costs, helping businesses to reach market faster.

Scotland’s space ecosystem

Start-ups and SMEs specialising in artificial intelligence, robotics, satellite hardware and rockets from across Scotland’s space eco-system have made use of the Higg’s facilities.

Edinburgh-based Alpha Data provides computer hardware to the space industry. Andrew McCormick, Technical Director and CTO at Alpha Data, said:

Alpha Data were looking to undertake vibration testing for our demonstrator, development board and deployable platform. We contacted the Higgs Centre for Innovation to enquire about the use of their vibration capabilities.

Once we made contact, we were easily able to communicate our needs and get support on the specific tests and specifications needed. This testing and support allowed Alpha Data to demonstrate the physical ruggedness and launch potential of our 3U-VPX MPSoC platform.

Throwing open the doors

STFC’s Dr Julian Dines, Head of Innovation at the Higgs Centre, said:

After nine months of hard work we are thrilled to throw open our doors once again and invite companies to access our bigger and better range of dedicated space testing facilities at the Higgs Centre.

This upgrade means an even broader range of space testing can now take place on site here in Edinburgh, increasing the reliability of satellites in orbit.

We look forward to supporting the further expansion of the burgeoning space sector in Scotland – particularly as we approach the next phase in the sector’s development with space launch from Scotland.

STFC’s Euan Harvey, Business Development and Innovation Manager at the Higgs Centre, said:

I am delighted we are now back open and ready for business, more fitted to support the industry’s needs than ever. The facility is an important facet in Scotland’s offering of a full end-to-end space capabilities and an important part in driving innovation within the Scottish space ecosystem.

Annelies Look, Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Delivery Officer at the UK Space Agency, said:

The relaunch of the Higgs Centre for Innovation’s Space Testing Facility will benefit Scotland and the UK as a whole, catalysing investment and strengthening our end-to-end space sector capabilities.

By providing affordable world class testing equipment and specialist guidance, the Higgs Centre is empowering early-stage tech start-ups and space SMEs to innovate, reduce risks and bring their products to market faster.

This will ensure that Scotland and the UK remain at the forefront of space exploration and technology, creating jobs and driving economic growth.