A Northallerton-based space satellite start-up business has received backing from the European Space Agency (ESA).
AmbaSat, which is based in the town’s Centre for Digital Innovation (C4DI), has been accepted on to the ESA Business Incubation Centre UK (ESA BIC UK) programme, bringing with it a €50,000 cash injection and access to a wealth of experienced scientists, engineers and testing facilities.
AmbaSat has also received a £3,250 grant from the Sustainable Supply Chain Network to help fund its Orbital Operator licence from the UK Space Agency and Civil Aviation Authority.
Together they complete the final piece of co-founders Martin Platt and Marcel Houtveen’s dream to give every individual, student, engineer and explorer the opportunity to build and launch their own satellite into space.
“This is fantastic news for AmbaSat and enables us to deliver on the next phase of the business by launching UK satellites, built by UK students into low earth orbit onboard UK rockets” said Martin.
“Being a member of C4DI has already brought us a powerhouse of support and inspiration – the business is driving forward so fast now and the opportunity to work with the ESA will help us to explore sustainability and environmental challenges and build new solutions through the use of space technologies.
“Having the support of Hambleton District Council to obtain grant funding for our satellite operator licence means we can take another big step forward in the journey to space and Low Earth Orbit.”
Ambasat was born out of Martin and Marcel’s environmental, business and technology expertise. They spent five years developing and manufacturing a new technology to provide remote sensing, monitoring and alerting systems for industrial and commercial food businesses.
Then in 2019, they developed the first “miniature” space satellite called AmbaSat-1. This tiny space satellite kit is assembled and coded by students and individuals and then launched on-board a commercial rocket into Low Earth Orbit, where they spend up to one month in space, conducting data gathering activities covering everything from CO2 emissions and radiation to GPS location data. AmbaSat’s space satellite kits and accompanying educational courses deliver a practical and engaging learning journey and inspire students to explore an exciting career in space and STEM.
- ESA BIC UK provides start-ups with technical expertise and facilities, business support, networking, office space and funding needed to overcome innovation challenges and accelerate business growth. Managed by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) it provides the support and funding that start-up companies need to turn their ideas into profitable products and services using space technology, or to develop technologies for use in space. ESA BIC UK is supported by the UK Space Agency, ESA, STFC and the University of Leicester
- C4DI (Centre for Digital Innovation) is based in Hambleton District Council’s Treadmills development which has been developed on the town’s centres former prison site.
Discover more about AmbaSat on www.ambasat.com
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