XCAM awarded funding from UK Space Agency to study space weather

Author: EIS Release Date: Aug 21, 2023

Northampton-based XCAM has been awarded grant funding from the UK Space Agency (UKSA), via its International Bilateral Fund (IBF) – Phase 1, to develop next generation X-ray instrumentation for the study of space weather.

 

 

 

XCAM awarded funding from UK Space Agency to study space weather

 

The agency launched the £20 million fund earlier this year, aiming to support new UK space capabilities and build international space partnerships.

 

The intention is that the fund – described as the UKSA’s first dedicated fund focused on the UK’s relationships with strategically important international partners – will also catalyse further private investment. The goal is help bring new services to market or support cutting-edge space-related research.

 

 

XCAM, a specialist in digital camera systems, will join a project being led by the Open University that involves working with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It will support the development of X-ray instrumentation for the DISHA mission to study space weather.

 

 

The company says it will play a key role in defining a preliminary camera system concept based around the CIS221-X, which is a novel X-ray detector designed jointly by The Open University and Teledyne e2v (and manufactured by Teledyne e2v). In addition to the technical contributions, XCAM will also be evaluating the return on investment to the UKSA for the next phase of development.

 

Specifically, the grant that has been announced will fund the initial development of the project, potentially leading on to Phase 2 which could see a further £1.5m in funding next year.

 

“We are delighted to have been awarded this valuable grant funding and to play a significant part in strengthening the UK space sector’s partnerships with strategic and emerging space nations,” said Karen Holland, CEO of XCAM.

 

“This funding supports an international collaboration for the initial development of the Auroral X-ray Imaging Spectrometer instrument intended to fly on DISHA, the Disturbed and quiet time Ionospheric-thermosphere System at High Altitudes mission.”

 

XCAM will also be supporting another IBF fund project, again led by the Open University, to support the development of a Mars imager concept using the CIS125 detector also manufactured by Teledyne e2v. This will draw on the work already conducted by XCAM on the CIS125 for the TreeView mission.

 

UCAR

In July, XCAM announced it was collaborating with UCAR (University Corporation for Atmospheric Research) to observe the global thermospheric winds that impact radio and GPS communications.

 

The space mission – dubbed WindCube – will involve the first wind measuring interferometer to be carried on a small 6-U LEO CubeSat, with XCAM providing an advanced imaging camera system.