On a space journey in the UK – 1

Last month I travelled to the UK visiting several institutes and meeting stakeholders. I was keen to explore developments in space science and technology in the UK for possible collaborations with India and this brought me to the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory Space (RAL Space) in Harwell. The RAL Space is co-located with the other large research facilities such as Diamond Light Synchrotron, ISIS and Central Laser Facility set-up by STFC.  It is UK’s national resource meant for the benefit of the UK space community and has been involved in more than 200 missions around the world.

RAL Space’s main focus is to develop new technologies and space facilities to improve access to space something it’s been doing for the last 50 years or so. Areas of expertise include its solar space mission, where instruments have been developed to understand the Sun’s atmosphere in detail, making critical observations of the earth and its atmosphere, which helps weather predictions, exploring planets and the infinite universe. For example, the RAL’s Coronal Diagnostic Spectrometer (CDS) can detect extreme ultraviolet radiation in the Sun’s corona. The spectra recorded by CDS can give information on temperature, density and the flow of hot plasma in the sun’s magnetic field.

RAL has also worked with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). In fact one of the instruments, X-ray Spectrometer (C1XS), built by RAL flew on India’s Chandrayaan – 1 Mission (mars mission) and was meant to map the entire moon surface. Alongside building instruments that fly on satellites, RAL Space has vast experience in analysing and processing space data. It also operates S – and X-band ground-station facilities, which is used to communicate with the spacecraft on a range of scientific missions.

During my visit, the Director Prof. Richard Holdaway took me around the facility and showed some very interesting facilities one of which was the Thermal Vaccum facility, which is used to test instruments destined for space in flight like conditions on earth.

The icing on the cake was when Richard explained to me how some of the high end space technologies from RAL Space were being exploited for general commercial use. One such technology is from a spin out company from STFC called ThruVision System which is making the world safer from terrorists. It has been deployed in several airports across the world. It uses passive imaging technology to detect explosives, liquids, narcotics, weapons, plastics and ceramics hidden under clothing and can image both metallic and non-metallic threat objects concealed on still or moving subjects, without revealing body details and also without radiating the person with energy. What a wonderful technology!! The next time I am in an airport, I plan to go spotting for this device. How about you?