RAL Space Bespoke Products

Bespoke Products

Our state-of-the-art design and manufacturing facilities enable us to produce custom components to the most demanding specifications.The Group’s Precision Development Facility is a unique and world-renowned source of close-tolerance precision-manufactured waveguide components with waveguide features as small as 100 microns x 26 microns. Listed below are a range of some of the components we can offer.

For more information please contact: RAL Space Enquiries

Blackbody calibration targets

The Millimetre-Wave Technology Group has developed a range of radiometer calibration targets which have an excellent return loss, typically better than -40 dB, suitable for use over a wide frequency range, from circa 10 GHz to above 1 THz.

Cryogenic tunnel junction receiver.

Cryogenic Receivers

RAL Space develops and supplies cryogenic terahertz heterodyne receiver systems.

Anti-parallel air-bridged Schottky diode pair (bridge length is 20 µm).

The Millimetre-Wave Technology Group has developed the capability to fabricate low capacitance Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) Schottky diodes for applications in millimetre and sub-millimetre wave heterodyne mixers, harmonic sources and direct detectors.

Electrical Ground Support Equipment consisting of a rack of equipment and display screen.

Electrical Ground Support Equipment (EGSE)

EGSE systems developed by RAL Space have been used on ground-based astronomy and space projects, from individual subsystems such as cameras and blackbodies, to whole spacecraft.

RAL Space design, manufacture and provide test services for quasi-optical devices. Transmission and reflection testing of component designs is also possible.

Frequency Multipliers

RAL Space has extensive experience in the design, manufacture and test of frequency multipliers based on Schottky and Heterostructure Barrier Varactor diodes.

Compact microFTS instrument

Micro Fourier Transform Spectrometer

RAL Space has designed and developed a novel Micro Fourier Transform Spectrometer (microFTS) based on a static optical configuration.

340 GHz IQ Mixer

Mixers are a key component in heterodyne transceiver systems. The MMT Group has extensive experience in the design, manufacture and test of mixers using planar Schottky diode technology.

Thermal blankets made of Multi-Layer Insulation with different optical properties.

Multi-layer Insulation

Multi-Layer Insulation (MLI) is thermal insulation composed of multiple layers of thin sheets of reflective materials, separated by thin netting spacers.

Optical Ground Support Equipment

We design, build and operate highly accurate Optical Ground Support Equipment (OGSE) for space science and Earth observation missions as well as ground based instruments.

RA Space WR-05 Photomixer

The Millimetre-Wave Technology Group has pioneered the generation of millimetre-wave power using photomixing of two 1550 nm laser beams in high bandwidth InGaAs photodiodes.

Part of a quasi-optical network with two off-axis ellipsoidal mirrors

Quasi-Optical Components

RAL Space has extensive experience in the design, fabrication, assembly and test of quasi-optical components and networks for millimetre and submillimetre-wave beam forming.

Robotic Platforms

The Autonomous Systems Group has a long history in developing and prototyping rover platforms especially for field testing and Validation and Verification.

CAD model of the MARSCHALS limb sounder

Terahertz and Millimetre-Wave Receivers and Radiometers

The Millimetre Technology (MMT) group has many years expertise in the design, development and operation of Millimetre-Wave and Terahertz semi- and super-conductor receivers and complete radiometer instruments for satellite, airborne and ground-based use.