25 July 2006

Space technology on show in Dundee

Deputy Enterprise Minister Allan Wilson had the opportunity to see the innovative work being done in space technology at the University of Dundee today during a visit to the Space Technology Centre.

The Deputy Minister was at the University to find out more about STAR-Dundee, a spin-out company, which has received a SMART award worth £50,000 from the Scottish Executive.

The award will allow the company to develop hi-tech space equipment.

It is the second SMART award won by the company which designs and produces electronic test and development equipment for the European Space Agency, NASA and the international aerospace industry.

"We won a SMART award in 2002 and that allowed us to develop the SpaceWire Link Analyser, a piece of equipment which can monitor information flowing through spacecraft communication networks," explained STAR Dundee managing director Dr Steve Parkes.

"That has been our most successful project so far and it is now being used across the world.

"We’re hoping this second award will have a similar effect on our latest SpaceWire technology.

"Our research is having a major impact internationally and is being used on many high-profile space missions. We are pushing back the technological frontiers and that requires innovation and is inherently risky.

"The SMART award enables us to take that risk without putting the company on the line."

During his visit today Mr Wilson was given a tour of the Space Technology Centre and had the chance to see the latest work being done there including the development of simulation tools and sensor models that realistically simulate landing a spacecraft on a planet or asteroid.

STAR-Dundee Ltd is a spin-out company from the Space Technology Centre at the University of Dundee. It designs and produces electronic test and development equipment for the European Space Agency (ESA), NASA and the international aerospace industry to use when developing new spacecraft.

SpaceWire is a computer network used onboard spacecraft to transfer information from one part of the spacecraft to another. Its development was led by the University of Dundee, funded by the European Space Agency, and has since become the standard used on many new ESA and NASA spacecraft.

For more information on SpaceWire please see www.spacewire.esa.int

Photographs of Dr Parkes and the link analyser are available from the University of Dundee press office.

For media enquiries contact:

Hilary McNally
Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384768
E-MAIL: h.mcnally@dundee.ac.uk