24/7 Space News
ROCKET SCIENCE
GMV Leads In-Space Refueling Tech Development with UK Space Agency Funding
The project, underway since October and lasting until February 2025, aims to build a distributed simulation environment equipped with Digital Twins and Virtual Reality components to validate and verify operations for in-orbit refueling.
GMV Leads In-Space Refueling Tech Development with UK Space Agency Funding
by Sophie Jenkins
London, UK (SPX) Dec 27, 2023

In a significant boost to the UK's space technology sector, GMV, a leader in aerospace and defense systems, has been selected by the UK Space Agency for a substantial project in the realm of in-orbit servicing. The Enabling Technologies Programme (ETP), an initiative of the UK Government aimed at accelerating the space sector's development, is providing GMV with GBP 250,000 (approximately Euro 277,776) to spearhead the "REALM: Virtual Reality Aided Spacecraft Refuelling for IOSM Verification and Validation" project.

The project, which commenced in October and is set to conclude in February 2025, seeks to establish a distributed simulation environment integrating Digital Twins and Virtual Reality components. This innovative approach is geared towards validating and verifying operations critical to in-orbit refueling. To realize this ambitious project, GMV is collaborating with notable companies in the sector, including Thales Alenia Space, Satellite Applications Catapult, and Pitch.

The ETP, which has earmarked GBP 4 million for advancing cutting-edge space technology programs, is channeling GBP 3.2 million to the UK Space Agency and an additional GBP 800,000 to the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), under the UK Research and Innovation office (UKRI). The program's primary objective is to fund industry and academic endeavors that focus on efficient space utilization, weather prediction enhancements, and space debris removal strategies.

Paul Bate, CEO of the UK Space Agency, remarked on the importance of science and space technology, stating, "This programme demonstrates how the UK Space Agency is empowering scientists, university engineers, businesses, and research institutes to develop new capabilities and advance future technologies."

Juan Bevan, Head of Space Systems - Flight Segment and Robotics at GMV's UK subsidiary, expressed gratitude for the funding, highlighting its significance in advancing critical technologies in guidance, navigation, and orbital robotics control. Bevan also pointed out the strategic importance of this investment for GMV, aligning with the company's goal to capture a substantial share of the global IOSM market by 2030, a target underscored in the 'UK In-Orbit Servicing Capability: A Platform for Growth' report by Satellite Applications Catapult in 2021.

GMV's project represents a novel convergence of VR technology and space systems, offering a fresh approach to the challenges of in-orbit refueling. The utilization of Digital Twins in this context is particularly noteworthy, as it allows for precise simulation and analysis of complex space systems. This technology, combined with VR, offers an immersive and detailed environment for testing and planning space operations, a critical factor in the advancing field of In-Space Refueling or In-Orbit Servicing and Manufacturing (IOSM).

The collaboration with established entities like Thales Alenia Space and the Satellite Applications Catapult further bolsters the project's potential, bringing together diverse expertise from across the space technology sector. This initiative not only highlights the UK's commitment to advancing its space industry but also positions GMV as a frontrunner in the development of next-generation space technologies.

The project's success could pave the way for more efficient and sustainable space operations, contributing significantly to the longevity of spacecraft and the reduction of space debris. With the UK Space Agency's support, GMV is poised to make a substantial impact in the realm of space technology and exploration.

Related Links
GMV
Rocket Science News at Space-Travel.Com

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
ROCKET SCIENCE
UK Space Agency backs Orbit Fab's innovative refueling interface, GRASP
London, UK (SPX) Nov 27, 2023
Orbit Fab, a frontrunner in on-orbit refueling services, has announced a pivotal partnership with the UK Space Agency to develop the GRASP (Grasping and Resupply Active Solution for Propellants) active refueling interface in the UK. This strategic collaboration aims to establish the necessary components for in-space refueling, a transformative concept set to redefine space mission operations. The partnership leverages Orbit Fab's proven success in the UK, focusing on their innovative, cost-effecti ... read more

ROCKET SCIENCE
Insect compasses, fire-fighting vines: 2023's nature-inspired tech

MSBAI and Princeton partner in SpaceWERX contract to enhance space flight training

Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin headed back into space after accident

NASA: Let's Ketchup on International Space Station Tomato Research

ROCKET SCIENCE
GMV Leads In-Space Refueling Tech Development with UK Space Agency Funding

KSC looks ahead to a busy year in 2024

Japan sets third launch attempt of next-gen rocket for February

ESA and IENAI Space unveil innovative electrospray propulsion for small satellites

ROCKET SCIENCE
Recent volcanism on Mars reveals a planet more active than previously thought

Sussex research takes us a step closer to sustaining human life on Mars

Rocker-Bogie Around the Marsmas Sea: Sols 4041-4042

Zhurong Rover Unveils Ancient Polygonal Terrain Under Mars' Utopia Planitia

ROCKET SCIENCE
Shenzhou XVII astronauts set for their first spacewalk

China's commercial space sector achieves milestones with series of successful launches

China's space programme: Five things to know

Long March rockets mark their 500th spaceflight

ROCKET SCIENCE
Russia space agency official held over multi-million euro fraud

Measuring how space creates jobs and prosperity on Earth

Bayanat and Yahsat to Merge, Forming AI-Driven Space Technology Powerhouse, Space42

NASA and Blue Origin partner to propel space technology in latest suborbital flight

ROCKET SCIENCE
GESTRA space radar successfully enters final test phase

Chile's state-owned mining giant forms lithium extraction alliance

NASA's Tech Demo Streams First Video From Deep Space via Laser

Shining a light on NASA's deep space laser communication test

ROCKET SCIENCE
Astrophysicists publish Kepler Giant Planet Search, an aid to 'figure out where to find life'

Earth may have had all the elements needed for life within it all along

NASA Study Finds Life-Sparking Energy Source and Molecule at Enceladus

Some Icy Exoplanets May Have Habitable Oceans and Geysers

ROCKET SCIENCE
The PI's Perspective: The Long Game

Webb rings in the holidays with the ringed planet Uranus

Unwrapping Uranus and its icy moon secrets

Juice burns hard towards first-ever Earth-Moon flyby

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.