UK-built comms technology to fly on ISS

The UK subsidiary of MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA) has won the first phase of a contract to supply the European module of the International Space Station with its own data relay terminal. The contract is expected total €14m and delivery of the terminal to the European Space Agency is scheduled for the end of 2016. The relay would mean European astronauts no longer had to rely on NASA’s communications infrastructure to transmit important information between the European Columbus module and ground stations. “This contract to the UK is an excellent example of how our strategic investment in Europe’s space programme is securing major contracts for our space industry and bringing cutting edge UK-built technology to huge international endeavours such as the International Space Station,” said Dr Chris Castelli, Acting Director of Programmes at the UK Space Agency. MDA are developing a Ka band data relay terminal which will give astronauts and scientists better bandwidth communications and fast delivery of results and videos. The technology could also be used on low Earth orbit satellites, removing the need for the satellite to be above a ground station to communication with its operation centre.