Goonhilly to boost deep space comms capacity
Above: Goonhilly Earth Station.
Courtesy UK Space Agency
Space agencies and companies use a global network of large antennas to communicate with, and transfer data between, their spacecraft and controllers on Earth. As the numbers of space missions beyond Earth orbit – to destinations including the Moon – increase, the capacity of these existing services is reaching their limit.
Several of the world’s space agencies already share resources to cope with high demand but this issue is predicted to deteriorate with the increase in robotic and human activity around the Moon.
The UK is in a unique position to provide increased capacity through facilities like Goonhilly, which is the world’s most experienced provider of commercial lunar and deep space communications services. Since 2021, Goonhilly has supported over 17 spacecraft beyond geostationary orbit, including CubeSats deployed on the Artemis-I mission. Goonhilly has also provided services for international organisations, including ESA, ISRO, and Intuitive Machines.
Minister for Data Protection and Telecoms, Sir Chris Bryant, said: "Just as digital infrastructure helps us stay connected here on Earth, this government-backed contract will play a vital role in supporting humanity’s next steps to the Moon and beyond.
"The UK has a real competitive advantage in space and I want to exploit that to its full potential, using innovative commercial models such as those demonstrated by Goonhilly and the UK Space Agency to attract more investment, generate high-quality jobs and support our international partners."
This new agreement between the UK Space Agency and Goonhilly will help expand existing UK capabilities, unlock new and emerging markets and support the growth of the fledgling lunar economy. It will support Goonhilly to provide more services to international agencies and companies to help them cope with the increasing global demand for deep space communications. The contract is task-based and worth up to an initial £2 million this financial year.
Dr Paul Bate, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, said: "Our work with Goonhilly is a great example of how the UK can benefit from the commercial opportunities associated with developing the nascent lunar and deep space economy. This contract award signals a step change in how we use different tools as a government agency to support the growing space sector and strengthen international partnerships.
"Earth ground stations will play an increasingly important role in every part of the sector, from supporting major UK-led missions such as TRUTHS and Moonlight to enabling the next generation of broadband connectivity in low Earth orbit. Developing this critical capability will help meet both our national and international ambitions in space."
With the rapid rise in lunar missions, including upcoming examples like Intuitive Machines’ IM-2, Astrobotic’s Griffin Mission One and NASA’s Artemis-II, the UK Space Agency recognises the potential for Goonhilly’s advanced capabilities to ensure that deep space networks are able to support increasing demand for communications services.
The UK Space Agency and Goonhilly will work with new international partners to showcase the quality of Goonhilly’s state-of-the-art assets, robust processes, and expert team, initially demonstrating downlink telemetry and navigation services, with a long-term goal of providing uplink services to control spacecraft in flight – services Goonhilly has already successfully provided for a number of high profile missions.
Executive Director of UKspace, Colin Baldwin, said: "Goonhilly Earth Station has pioneered commercial deep space communications capabilities in the UK. This agreement will put the UK at the heart of international missions to the Moon and Mars, and will continue to give us a seat at the top table of space faring nations."
As a founding member of the European Space Agency with strong international ties beyond Europe, the UK wants to play a leading role in addressing this issue facing the global space sector, while supporting the development of new commercial models and national capabilities, and attracting more investment into the growing sector.
Matthew Cosby, CTO, Goonhilly Earth Station: "Goonhilly is at the forefront of commercial lunar and deep space communication services, providing vital infrastructure and expertise that supports international missions to the Moon and beyond.
"As the demand for deep space communications continues to grow, this new contract enables us to expand our capacity, support more missions, and play a key role in the next chapter of space exploration. We are excited to be contributing to the global space ecosystem and strengthening the UK’s leadership in this critical area."
Goonhilly is at the heart of a growing cluster of 300 space organisations in Cornwall and the South West of England, which generate an annual income of £600 million and employ 3,200 people.
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