The Satellite Applications Catapult and Infostellar have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to provide UK businesses with enhanced access to the Satellite Applications Catapult’s ground station in Goonhilly, Cornwall.
The Catapult’s ground station is the primary ground location for its In Orbit Demonstration (IOD) programme – a unique service which supports UK business to achieve the launch of satellite data services. By integrating this ground station with Infostellar’s StellarStation service, organisations will be able to remotely access the Goonhilly station for uplink and downlink. The Catapult will also be able to share unused capacity with the StellarStation network to give greater access to their Goonhilly facility for UK companies.
As a result of this collaboration, Infostellar plans to open a UK office at the Satellite Applications Catapult’s Harwell base in 2019. The UK office will focus on business development and regulatory affairs for Infostellar’s international expansion plans in Europe.
With this agreement, the Satellite Applications Catapult continues to support innovative solutions for the small satellite community, as well as continuing to foster strong links between space companies in the UK and Japan.
Stuart Martin, CEO of the Satellite Applications Catapult said: “The Satellite Applications Catapult is thrilled to sign this new agreement with Infostellar. It will enhance our offering for large and small UK companies and make our Goonhilly ground station more available to participants in our In-Orbit Demonstration programme and the wider space community. It is also another excellent example of how the strength of the space sector in the UK continues to generate great interest from innovative international companies.”
The Satellite Applications Catapult is an independent innovation and technology company, created by Innovate UK to drive economic growth through the exploitation of space. It works with businesses of all sizes to realise their potential from space infrastructure and its applications. Based in Harwell, Oxfordshire, the Catapult was established in May 2013 as one of a network of centres to accelerate the take-up of emerging technologies and drive economic impact for the UK. The Satellite Applications Catapult is a not-for-profit research organisation which is registered as a private company limited by guarantee and controlled by its Board.
Infostellar is a satellite communications infrastructure provider developing a quick and flexible ground station network called StellarStation. By lowering barriers to entry in the ground segment, Infostellar empowers newspace startups to build better missions and improve the quality of their service. Founded in 2016, Infostellar is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.
