IT IS the size of a standard drinks can but it is about to launch Scotland’s entry into the space race.
Alba Orbital, based in Glasgow, has created the cuboid-shaped satellite to be used to monitor aeroplanes, and after a year’s development it will be launched into space on the back of a Russian rocket early next year.
The satellite, which is no bigger than a can of Coke, is the smallest of its kind made in the UK, and will be deployed in a pod, before blasting out into the darkness of the solar system.
Tom Walkinshaw, 26, who owns the company, said: “It’s really exciting and it’s the goal of the company. But we’re not there yet – it needs to launch successfully.
“We’re focused on getting it finished. We hope it’s the first of many and we can showcase our technology.”
Alba Orbital’s satellite will be launched with hundreds of others – some 200 times bigger.
Mr Walkinshaw said: “Ours will be one of the satellites on board when it launches in the south part of Russia. The biggest on board is 110kg, ours is half a kilogram, and 200 times our size. Ours is tracking planes from space.”
Mr Walkinshaw started Alba Orbital from his bedroom after graduating from university and wanting to work in the space industry. He said: “I couldn’t get a job in the industry in Glasgow so my only option was to start a company. It started off in my bedroom three years ago.”
There are now three people in the team working in their office at The Whisky Bond, near Port Dundas, but they have a total of five full-time staff.
PocketQube satellites are the cheapest to launch and “relatively” cheap to make.
Mr Walkinshaw said the devices could have any number of practical educational or commercial uses and are based on a slightly larger model called the Cubesat, which has already been used on more than 100 flights.
The cost to build and launch one is about £12,000.
He first started his company with the intention of providing a “burial-in-space” service for people wishing to have their ashes launched into low-earth orbit.
But he was forced to rethink his plans when his application for a launch licence was rejected by the UK Space Agency.
Mr Walkinshaw added: “The smaller you make it the lower cost it is. It’s around six figures.
“We’re in partnership with the European Space Agency and the Innovate UK space team in a technology development project.
“It’s our first satellite and our technology is going into space for the first time. It’s quite a big deal for us.”
They plan to continue to make PocketQube satellites.
Satellites are launched into space every two to three months and used for projects such as science missions.
There are 1,000 satellites in space, used for a range of purposes, such as in-space missions, flight pictures and GPS. Smaller satellites are used for earth observation.
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