Satellite Applications Catapult Unveils Major Upgrades to World-Leading ISAM Facility Ahead of SmallSat 2025
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Visit Us at Stand T10 | SmallSat Conference & Exhibition | Logan, Utah, USA | 10-13 August
The Satellite Applications Catapult is proud to announce significant upgrades to its In-Orbit Servicing, Assembly and Manufacturing (ISAM) Test Facility at Westcott, Buckinghamshire, UK – enhancements that further cement its position as Europe’s most advanced and capable ISAM testing environment, and one of the premier resources of its kind globally.
Since SmallSat 2024, the Catapult team has implemented a suite of improvements to support the growing demand for safe, sustainable, and cost-effective in-orbit operations. As the global space economy accelerates, high-fidelity simulation environments are essential to advancing next-generation space technologies and procedures—especially for critical mission elements such as Rendezvous, Proximity Operations and Docking (RPOD).
Figure 1 Image showing the Catapult’s robotic ISAM ‘yard’ with GOLS upgrade in centre
Key facility upgrades include:
- Gravity Offload System (GOLS): A newly installed GOLS in the robotic ‘yard’ enables precise simulation of in-space contact dynamics, offering an unmatched testing environment for RPOD operations and satellite servicing.
- Control Room: The upgraded Control Room now supports full remote control of robotic yard activities. This advancement not only enhances safety and operational efficiency but also enables distributed participation through a federated facilities model—reducing costs and enabling global collaboration.
- Orbital Lighting System: An innovative lighting system has been integrated to replicate the challenging illumination conditions of orbit, including up to 15 day/night cycles every 24 hours. This immersive lighting environment allows engineers to test and validate RPOD procedures in realistic light conditions, reducing mission risk and increasing operational confidence.
“These upgrades are not only technological milestones but also key enablers for the sustainable development of the in-orbit servicing and manufacturing market,” said Mike Curtis-Rouse, Head of ISAM at the Satellite Applications Catapult. “While our facility is among the most capable in the world, it is our expert team that truly transforms these tools into mission success stories for our partners.”
We invite attendees of SmallSat 2025 to visit us at Stand T10 to meet our team, explore our upgraded capabilities, and discover how the Westcott ISAM Facility can accelerate your journey in this emerging frontier of space operations.
FLASH TALK: Mark Heelis, Beyond Earth Delivery Lead at the Catapult will present on The Importance of Scale when Delivering Complex Space Projects’ on Tuesday 12 August (session 2).
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