Oxford Space Systems and Surrey Satellite…

Oxford Space Systems and Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) have announced the successful launch of CarbSAR IOD, SSTL’s latest Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) technology demonstration satellite incorporating Oxford Space Systems’ innovative Wrapped Rib Antenna. The spacecraft was launched aboard a Falcon 9 rocket operated by SpaceX from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California.

This is the first mission to incorporate Oxford Space Systems’ deployable Wrapped Rib Antenna, marking the culmination of several years of development, engineering innovation and investment in advanced UK manufacturing. Built at Oxford Space Systems’ composite and metal-mesh production facilities in Oxfordshire, the Wrapped Rib Antenna introduces a novel deployable-antenna architecture designed to deliver high-performance SAR capability from a highly compact, stowage-efficient design. The Antenna has undergone extensive ground-based testing, including radio-frequency validation, and will now demonstrate its performance in orbit.