RAL Space - latest developments in space science and technology
RAL Space - latest developments in space science and technology
RAL Space - latest developments in space science and technology
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CCLRC RUTHERFORD APPLETON LABORATORY<br />
Services<br />
We are able to provide a range of services to customers, which can<br />
enhance a project’s technical <strong>and</strong> management programme.<br />
We can provide assistance through experts <strong>and</strong> managers from<br />
various related discipl<strong>in</strong>es.<br />
CFARR<br />
SPACE PROJECT<br />
MANAGEMENT AND PA<br />
ENVIRONMENTAL TEST,<br />
CALIBRATION FACILITIES<br />
AND CLEAN ROOMS<br />
The control room at CFARR<br />
The Chilbolton Facility for<br />
Atmospheric <strong>and</strong> Radio Research is<br />
based at the CCLRC Chilbolton<br />
Observatory <strong>in</strong> Hampshire. CFARR is a<br />
ground-based atmospheric remote<br />
sens<strong>in</strong>g facility for atmospheric <strong>science</strong><br />
<strong>and</strong> radio propagation research. The<br />
site is dom<strong>in</strong>ated by the fully steerable<br />
25 m antenna which hosts the 3 GHz<br />
Chilbolton Advanced Meteorological<br />
Radar (CAMRa) <strong>and</strong> the 1275 MHz<br />
clear air radar (ACROBAT). Other<br />
facilities at the site <strong>in</strong>clude cloud<br />
radars, radiometers, UV <strong>and</strong> IR lidars,<br />
<strong>and</strong> meteorological sensors.<br />
Instrumented microwave<br />
communications l<strong>in</strong>ks <strong>and</strong> satellite<br />
beacon receivers operated for radio<br />
propagation experiments are at a<br />
second site located 8 km from<br />
Chilbolton at Sparsholt. Chilbolton<br />
frequently hosts visit<strong>in</strong>g experiments<br />
from the UK <strong>and</strong> abroad; recent major<br />
campaigns <strong>in</strong>cluded CWAVE’03 <strong>and</strong><br />
CSIP’04. Data are distributed through<br />
the BADC (p. 25).<br />
Contact: John Goddard<br />
Tel: 01235 446127<br />
Email: j.w.f.goddard@rl.ac.uk<br />
www.chilbolton.rl.ac.uk/<br />
SSTD has managed (<strong>and</strong> provides help<br />
for) many <strong>space</strong> projects, <strong>in</strong>volv<strong>in</strong>g<br />
universities, UK research councils,<br />
government departments <strong>and</strong><br />
<strong>in</strong>dustry, ESA, NASA, EUMETSAT <strong>and</strong><br />
the EU. We operate our Quality<br />
Management System <strong>and</strong> <strong>Space</strong><br />
Products Assurance to ensure that<br />
projects comply with ISO 9001:2000<br />
<strong>and</strong> +TickIT (Software) St<strong>and</strong>ards.<br />
Contact: Richard Crowther<br />
Tel: 01235 446431<br />
Email: r.crowther@rl.ac.uk<br />
MOLECULAR<br />
SPECTROSCOPY FACILITY<br />
The world-class MSF laboratories<br />
provide high resolution (up to 1 part<br />
per million), broad optical b<strong>and</strong>width<br />
(IR/visible/UV) spectrometers, variable<br />
temperature (77 - 350 K) gas cells<br />
with optical paths from 1 mm to over<br />
1 km, <strong>and</strong> time-resolved, aerosol, <strong>and</strong><br />
reflectance spectroscopy accessories.<br />
Contact: Kev<strong>in</strong> Smith<br />
Tel: 01235 446475<br />
Email: k.m.smith@rl.ac.uk<br />
www.sstd.rl.ac.uk/msf<br />
Inside a test chamber at <strong>RAL</strong><br />
The environmental test facilities at<br />
<strong>RAL</strong> have been developed to meet the<br />
needs of people <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> the<br />
design, manufacture <strong>and</strong> qualification<br />
of <strong>space</strong> hardware. The facilities<br />
consist of a vibration test facility<br />
<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g cryogenic vibration, thermal<br />
vacuum facilities, vacuum bakeout<br />
facilities <strong>and</strong> large clean rooms for<br />
assembl<strong>in</strong>g sensitive flight hardware.<br />
They are all equipped with the <strong>latest</strong><br />
<strong>in</strong>strumentation <strong>and</strong> have modern<br />
computer-based control <strong>and</strong><br />
monitor<strong>in</strong>g/data acquisition systems.<br />
Our largest facility is a 3 m diameter<br />
by 5.5 m long thermal vacuum<br />
chamber, which was recently used to<br />
perform thermal vacuum test<strong>in</strong>g for<br />
the Disaster Monitor<strong>in</strong>g Constellation<br />
(DMC) satellites. The test facilities also<br />
<strong>in</strong>clude an extreme ultraviolet<br />
radiometric calibration facility for solar<br />
<strong>in</strong>struments, capable of tak<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>in</strong>struments up to 3 m long. These<br />
facilities are available for use by<br />
<strong>in</strong>dustry <strong>and</strong> universities.<br />
Contact: Graham Toplis<br />
Tel: 01235 445732<br />
Email: g.m.toplis@rl.ac.uk<br />
www.sstd.rl.ac.uk/envtest/<br />
EIS for SOLAR-B eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g model under test at <strong>RAL</strong><br />
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