Frontier Space Technologies, a UK-based startup, is making waves in the space industry with its innovative approach to industrialising in-orbit manufacturing and testing through their miniaturised health science space laboratory, SpaceLab.
Addressing a Critical Need in Space Experiments
SpaceLab addresses a significant challenge in space-based experimentation: the high cost of space lab experiments. With crew time on the International Space Station costing $130,000 per hour and companies limited to 25 hours per year, SpaceLab’s autonomous capabilities offer a cost-effective alternative for conducting multiple experiments simultaneously in microgravity.
SpaceLab is a small, 3U CubeSat that’s two-parts experiment payload and one-part interfacing bus. The core of the payload — and one of the startup’s key differentiators — is what’s called a “Multi-Chamber Sample Disc,” which can hold multiple samples in different chambers without any contamination. Because the chambers are isolated, SpaceLab allows for multiple experiments to be conducted simultaneously. It also has a sensor suite that equips the SpaceLab with comprehensive sample and environmental monitoring capabilities, resulting in accurate data collection and analysis.
Industry Support to Accelerate Growth
Frontier Space has garnered significant attention and support from key players in the space sector. The UK Space Agency’s Enabling Technology Programme has awarded funding for the development of fluid transfer and biological material property testing capabilities in SpaceLab.
Frontier Space, Sierra Space Corporation (USA) and the The Exploration Company secured a UKSA bilateral fund award. This partnership aimed to develop a commercial biotech platform for industrial microgravity applications, furthering the possibilities for space-based manufacturing and research.
Frontier Space has also been accepted into the European Space Agency – Business Incubation Centre for the United Kingdom (ESA-BIC UK) programme at Space Park Leicester. It has also been selected to join the UK Space Agency-backed Mandala Space Ventures SoCal Space accelerator. These opportunities provided Frontier Space with valuable resources, mentorship, and networking possibilities to further develop their groundbreaking technology.
The Future of Space for Health
As Frontier Space Technologies prepares for launch in Q1 2025, their technology will enhance in-orbit manufacturing and testing capabilities like:
- Increased accessibility and affordability to space health experiments
- Streamlined logistics and technology innovation in microgravity
- Reduced time-to-space for businesses, from years to mere months
Image Credit: Frontier Space Technologies SpaceLab
Video: Frontier Space Technologies & The Exploration Company on an End-to-End Service for Life Sciences https://youtu.be/Lz8HBkLeGrM
Sources:
Space firm behind pioneering ‘shoebox-sized laboratory’ comes to Leicester https://www.space-park.co.uk/2024/03/frontier-comes-to-leicester/
Frontier Space Technologies is developing an on-orbit autonomous lab to make space science easy https://techcrunch.com/2023/09/21/frontier-space-technologies-is-developing-an-on-orbit-autonomous-lab-to-make-space-science-easy/
Enabling Technology Programme Funded Projects (2023 – ongoing) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/enabling-technologies-programme/enabling-technology-programme-funded-projects-2023-ongoing
Pioneering worldwide space partnerships to boost UK innovation https://www.ukspace.org/pioneering-worldwide-space-partnerships-to-boost-uk-innovation/