UK's first facility for testing satellites opens

The National Satellite Test Facility at Harwell has taken seven years to build

A new £116m testing site for satellites has opened in Oxfordshire.

The National Satellite Test Facility at Harwell has taken seven years to build and is the first of its kind in the UK.

It’s been built using government money, following requests from the UK's space sector to have a series of testing facilities in one place.

Site operator RAL Space, which is part of the Science and Technology Facilities Council, said it would "strengthen the UK's position as a world-leader in the satellite manufacturing industry".

Dr Sarah Beardsley, Director of RAL Space, said the facility had created 30 new jobs and would lead to growth in Oxfordshire's space sector.

"The fact that the facility is based here at Harwell is really great for Oxfordshire - it shows that we are the beating heart of the UK space sector," she said.

"We have over a hundred companies here at the Harwell space cluster, with the number of jobs growing every day."

The site includes a test chamber where conditions found in space are simulated

The facility allows companies to run a number of different tests on satellites before they are launched into space.

That includes a test chamber where conditions found in space are simulated - such as extreme temperatures.

Acoustic testing to ensure satellites can withstand the huge levels of noise and vibrations at launch can also be carried out.

Dr Beardsley said: "What we do is we bring in the satellite and we test it: we shake it, we bake it and we make sure it can survive the rigours of being in space."

The facility will host its first commercial customer in July.