RAL Space

18/05/2026

🪐 In case you missed it: the Ariel space telescope has passed an important test milestone. The first payload model has completed mechanical testing – a key step towards a mission that will study around 1000 alien worlds.

Learn more in this clip 👇

The Ariel payload has cleared a major test milestone, paving the way for the mission that will uncover the secrets of over 1000 alien worlds.Credits: Animati...

13/05/2026

RAL Space and Dr Dan Cooper (TestTube Revise) created an online physics escape room, designed for GCSE, National 5 and Junior Cycle Physics curricula.

In this interactive virtual escape room, students must recover a password needed to launch a new spacecraft. To do this, they’ll:
🧩 Apply core physics knowledge
🧩 Solve equations and scientific challenges
🧩 Explore RAL Space laboratories and facilities for clues

Alongside revision, students also learn about real RAL Space projects and meet members of the teams behind them, helping to showcase STEM careers and pathways in space science and engineering.

🔗 Learn more: https://www.public-engagement.stfc.ac.uk/ral-space-physics-online-escape-room/

11/05/2026

A big milestone for the Ariel mission! 🎉🪐

Ariel’s payload structural model has completed its mechanical test campaign at the National Satellite Test Facility - a crucial step towards a mission that will study the atmospheres of around 1000 distant worlds.

Before any space hardware can fly, we usually build a full‑size structural model to prove the design is sound. Ariel’s has now passed its preliminary tests, showing it can withstand the intense forces of launch.

Next up: assembling the engineering model - a fully representative version of the flight hardware, complete with electronics and subsystems. Watch this space 👀

With funding from UK Space Agency, UK teams are playing a leading role in Ariel’s science and engineering. RAL Space leads the payload consortium, coordinating contributions with partners across Europe, the US, Canada and Japan.

Meanwhile, King's College London is leading the mission science, helping ensure Ariel will answer fundamental questions about these mysterious worlds. 🪐

See more of the Ariel's journey so far: https://www.ralspace.stfc.ac.uk/Pages/ariel-sm-passes-test-milestone.aspx

22/04/2026

Happy ! 🌍

From satellites that track CO₂ emissions to machines that can turn air into fuel using only renewable electricity, here are five innovations driving real-world solutions for a cleaner, safer future.

Want to learn more about the science and technology at STFC that is improving lives and protecting our planet?

🔗 Check out our brand new story on Medium: https://medium.com//five-ways-stfc-science-is-helping-the-planet-e4a70db03753

RAL Space

14/04/2026

Join us this Friday for a fascinating talk as part of Talking Science, a series of free talks for the public!

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile is about to change how we see the Universe. Over the next decade, it will take regular wide-angle images of the night sky, creating a 10-year movie of cosmic activity. Each night, it will spot millions of objects that move or change brightness - helping scientists learn more about dark matter, galaxy formation, our Solar System, and the history of the Milky Way.

In this talk, Dr Aprajita Verma (University of Oxford) will introduce the observatory and share the exciting discoveries we can expect from this groundbreaking project.

📅 Friday 17 April
🕢 7:15pm to 8:15pm
📍 Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire

🔗 Get your tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/talking-science-the-vera-c-rubin-observatory-tickets-1776439631759?aff=oddtdtcreator

This talk is suitable for ages 12 and up, although this is just a guideline.

Science and Technology Facilities Council

13/04/2026

Who else has been mesmerised by the Moon this week? 🌒🙋

We're still blown away by the incredible images coming from the Artemis II mission. Our director (and former lunar scientist!) Dr Sarah Beardsley summed it up perfectly:

"The successful Artemis II mission marks a major step forward in humanity’s return to deep space, showcasing international collaboration, advanced technology, and the renewed ambition to explore beyond Earth orbit with astronauts aboard. Beyond the historic flight itself, the programme will deliver lasting benefits for society by inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers and driving innovation in technologies that improve everyday life on Earth.

Missions like this help to demonstrate the impact of sustained technical capability and the importance of space in our everyday lives - research and development taking place here in Oxfordshire in organisations like RAL Space and the Harwell Space Cluster form an essential part of the wider global effort to push our understanding of space further."

If you need us, we'll be buried in NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration's image gallery...

27/03/2026

We have a launch date! SpaceX's Transporter-16 is targeting no earlier than Monday 30 March for lift-off, carrying a couple of small but mighty cubesats that have been supported by our teams:

🛰️ SPOQC (left): A demonstrator mission bringing together four UK universities and RAL Space to strengthen the UK’s leadership in space-based quantum communications. (Image credit: Isispace Group)

🧭 Io-1 (right): Part of the global competition, Io-1 will help revolutionise how we map Earth’s magnetic field. Led by Iota Technology, our teams supported the test, manufacture and assembly of the science payload. (Image credit: Iota Technology)

We'll be watching along on the livestream! https://www.spacex.com/launches/transporter-16

26/03/2026

We had lots of fun supporting Mars Day with Dallas and Suzie earlier this month! If you missed it, you can now replay the sessions on YouTube. 🎞️

This includes the introduction, which was streamed live from our vibration facility, and a tour behind the scenes of the National Satellite Test Facility during Mars Hour. 👇

On 3rd March, Mars Day was delivered virtually from RAL Space, bringing together students, teachers, educators and space enthusiasts for a day of exploration, curiosity and inspiration. Behind the scenes, a huge amount of work went into creating meaningful, engaging sessions designed to bring space and STEM to life.

Now, we’re excited to share that all of the Mars Day sessions are available to watch on our YouTube channel.

Whether you joined us on the day or missed it, you can now revisit the sessions, use them in your classroom, and continue those conversations with your students.

And if you’re looking to build on that momentum, explore our range of resources and CPD opportunities to support your teaching and bring space into your classroom with confidence. https://bit.ly/3nj4IdK

Because moments like Mars Day shouldn’t just be one day, they should keep inspiring long after, you can now watch Mars day 2026 on the STEM Learning YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/4rMTFI1

16/03/2026

In a few years, the ARIEL mission will study the atmospheres of a thousand planets in our galaxy, revealing their compositions, the presence of clouds, and even tracking changing weather. But before this cosmic adventure begins, the revolutionary telescope needs to be tested. Now, IFLScience brings you an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at how the mission is shaping up.

With RAL Space

12/03/2026

Our space test chambers range from half a metre to 7 metres in diameter, and are used to recreate the temperature extremes of space here on Earth. Inside, spacecraft and instruments are effectively baked and chilled in cycles that can last for months, proving they can survive the unforgiving conditions beyond our atmosphere. 🚀

For the very first customer use of our largest space test camber, we recently baked a key flight structure for ESA’s Rosalind Franklin ExoMars rover mission. This hardware forms part of the Mechanical, Thermal and Propulsion System provided by Airbus Space, critical components that will ultimately deliver the rover safely to the surface of Mars.

We usually bake hardware to test its resilience to extreme temperatures, but this time the mission was a little different. Planetary protection policies are international guidelines designed to prevent contamination of other solar system bodies, such as the Moon and Mars, with Earth-based life.

We’re always rigorous about cleanliness when sending hardware into space, but when you’re searching for life on Mars, it’s absolutely critical not to bring any with you. Baking the platform in our chamber was an initial step for Airbus to carry out further planetary protection processes back in Stevenage to ensure the lander and its components are clean enough for Mars.