Key Features
This is a Small Business Research initiative (SBRI) competition funded by the UK Space Agency.
The aim of the competition is to undertake feasibility studies to refuel the National Active Debris Removal Mission and a commercial client/customer satellite.
Programme: UK Space Agency
Award: Share of up to £2 million
Opens: 7th Nov 2023
Closes: 5th Dec 2023
This is a Small Business Research initiative (SBRI) competition funded by the UK Space Agency.
The aim of the competition is to undertake feasibility studies to refuel the National Active Debris Removal Mission and a commercial client/customer satellite.
Until recently satellites have been designed as one-shot items: non-refuellable with mission lifespans coming to an end when the satellite can no longer manoeuvre effectively. Up to half a satellite’s payload can be the fuel needed to complete its mission. With launch costs increasingly lowering and expected to decrease even further and new capabilities coming online such as rendezvous proximity operations (RPO) giving rise to highly manoeuvrable satellites capable of docking with others and performing in orbit service tasks, in orbit refuelling looks increasingly attractive as a service proposition.
The capability to refuel a satellite will allow operators to operate in a more sustainable manner by moving away from “one shot” satellite builds to platforms which can be modularised, upgradable and more mission-capable due to not being limited to the single tank of fuel they are launched with. Refuelling will allow satellites to have increasingly large amounts of payload dedicated to instruments instead of a fuel tank. As orbits, LEO (Low Earth Orbit) in particular, get more congested, the manoeuvring needed to avoid collisions, which currently shortens a satellite’s lifespan, will be able to be countered by refuelling which will extend mission lifespan.
Such In Orbit Servicing (IOS) missions are likely to be a key tool in ensuring the long-term sustainability of the outer space environment. Whilst the commercial market for IOS services is still maturing, the market for IOS services could be worth up to $2 billion to the UK by 2030. The potential economic gain from conducting IOS missions could, for the UK, be matched by longer term strategic benefits by being among the first movers in this new market. For example, developing the national skills, expertise and robotics capability needed to conduct IOS will enable UK industry to support other ambitious space projects like orbital assembly or space-based power generation.
The UK has launched 2 studies to preliminarily define a national Active Debris Removal (ADR) mission. This mission will build and grow UK capability in ADR and also grow key technologies such as Close Proximity Operations (CPO) and RPO which have cross-over use for IOS capability. Crucially, one of the mission requirements for the national ADR mission is to be refuellable, with each satellite design having a refuelling interface, offering a perfect client to test and derisk new and innovative refuelling and servicing technology.
The UK is also keen to grow and expand the nascent IOSM market and recognises that it cannot do this through institutional missions alone. This feasibility study(ies) has 2 key goals:
The challenge to be addressed by the successful team(s) can be summarised as follows:
This is phase 1 of a potential 2 phase competition. The decision to proceed with phase 2 will depend on the outcomes from phase 1 and assessment of a separate application into a subsequent phase 2 competition.
In applying to this competition/phase 1 competition you are entering into a competitive process.
Any adoption and implementation of a solution from this competition would be subject to a separate, possibly competitive, procurement exercise. This competition does not cover the purchase of any solution.
This competition closes at 11am UK time on the date of the deadline.
Phase 1 projects can range in size up to total costs of £500K, inclusive of VAT.
The aim of this competition is to undertake a feasibility study to refuel the national Active Debris Removal mission.
In this competition/phase 1 you must:
Contracts will be given to successful applicants. At this stage contracts will be given for phase 1 only. You must define your goals in your application and outline your plan for phase 2. You must demonstrate what you consider a practical route to market as part of the business case task.
If a phase 2 is run it will be competitively run and open to any applicant.
This means planned research or critical investigation to gain new knowledge and skills for developing new products, processes or services.
In phase 1 your project will work closely with the stakeholders to develop a solution and produce a final report, which will be assessed and form part of the decision for awarding potential phase 2 contracts. The outcome of phase 2 will be a more detailed study of any potential solution.
Your Project must:
To lead a project, you can:
Contracts will be awarded to a single legal entity only.
This competition will not fund any procurement, commercial, business development or supply chain activity with any Russian or Belarusian entity as lead or subcontractor. This includes any goods or services originating from a Russian or Belarusian source.
Contracts will be awarded to a single legal entity only. However, if you can justify subcontracting components of the work, you can engage specialists or advisers. The project and delivery against the project milestones will still be the responsibility of the main contractor.
The UK Space Agency will not fund projects that:
A total of up to £2 million, inclusive of VAT, is allocated to this competition/phase 1.
The Phase 1 feasibility study research and development (R&D) contracts will be up to £500,000, inclusive of VAT, for each project for up to 8 months. We expect to fund up to 4 projects.
The total funding available for the competition can change. The funders have the right to:
The contract is completed at the end of the competition, and the successful organisation is expected to pursue commercialisation of their solution.
You must state whether you are VAT registered before entering your project costs.
VAT is the responsibility of the invoicing business. We will not provide any further advice and suggest you seek independent advice from HMRC.
If you are VAT registered, you must enter your project costs exclusive of VAT. Your total project costs inclusive of VAT must not exceed £500,000.
If you are not VAT registered, you must enter your project costs exclusive of VAT. You will not be able to increase total project costs to cover VAT later should you become VAT registered. Your total project costs must not exceed £416,000.
Your application must have at least 50% of the contract value attributed directly and exclusively to R&D services, including solution exploration and design. R&D can also include prototyping and field-testing the product or service. This lets you incorporate the results of your exploration and design and demonstrate that you can produce in quantity to acceptable quality standards.
R&D does not include:
Book an appointment to speak to one of our advisors to discuss your eligibility to apply for this Grant Funding opportunity.
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