Our Services
Gravitilab provides flexible and affordable access to Microgravity, Space and other operating environments, where customers from across the industrial and scientific spectrum can undertake a variety of activities including Research, Testing and Qualification.
Environments
Gravitilab has technology solutions that allow it to democratise access to specialist R&D environments that are not readily available on earth but are increasingly in demand from commercial organisations.
Microgravity
Gravity affects everything on earth, indeed everything in the universe, but it is not part of what it is affecting. So in the same way as filtering noise from a radio signal gives you access to the pure signal, removing gravity from an equation creates a pure environment in which to observe underlying traits and characteristics. As the advancement of science and material development reaches the limits of what can be achieved in an environment affected by gravity the opportunity to operate in microgravity could be as meaningful as the switch from analogue to digital
Space
So much of life on earth depends upon Space. From the Big Bang that created the universe to the tiny satellites that allow us to communicate, Space provides the environment that impacts on our lives everyday. With the advent of private capital a new Space race has emerged over the last couple of decades, initially driving services like navigation and broadcasting but in time opening the potential for settlements beyond our world. While living on another planet may be millennia away, the anticipated proliferation of orbital equipment and services now necessitates rapid and broad testing and qualification in the Space environment.
Other
Although Gravitilab specialises in providing access to the very inaccessible environments of Microgravity and Space, it also enables customers to experience a variety of other conditions such as vibration, change in temperature, radiation, and thrust. While these factors may have a lesser role to play in research activities they are critical to testing and qualification, especially of anything that might ultimately be deployed in Space. What is more, Gravitilab enables customers to experience all the environments contemporaneously rather than independently of each other, thereby offering a much more genuine experience.
Activities
Technology and innovation lie at the heart of economic development policy. Gravitilab offers its customers affordable access to Research, Testing and Qualification services to help commercialise their investments.
Research
Although Space is synonymous with exploration of the solar system and beyond, and more recently with the deployment of infrastructure that supports life on earth e.g. satellites, the majority of activity in Space over the years has been associated with Research.
This work includes understanding the effects of microgravity on various physical, chemical, and biological processes, and how it affects the behaviour of materials and living organisms. It has also enabled the development of new technologies and improvement of existing ones, such as pharmaceuticals and fuel cells. It has also facilitated a better understanding of the universe and the laws of physics by conducting experiments in a unique environment that is not present on Earth.
Testing
Testing and Validation can happen as a follow up to fundamental research or more likely as part of an ongoing commercialisation process; aiming to ensure quality, reliability and performance before deployment.
Testing equipment for use in Space is especially challenging as it is an environment that cannot be replicated on earth and most equipment that is sent into Space stays in Space so results are difficult to verify. Gravitilabs unique UAV and suborbital rocket solutions enable full retrieval and comprehensive post flight analysis.
Qualification
Beyond understanding the functionality of products and systems it is mportant to benchmark this performance. Not only does this enable customers to demonstrate their capability in the specialist environments of Microgravity and Space but it also allows them to repurpose equipment that might have originally been designed for other industries (e.g. pumps for the marine industry) and consequently charge significant premiums for their products.
Conversely qualified products are likely to attract lower insurance and launch premiums because they are proven to work in the environments in which they are being deployed.
Looking forward there is a strong movement towards mandatory qualification of equipment and systems that are put into orbit, to help prevent the unnecessary build of Space debris.
Industries
Gravity affects everything on earth and almost everything on earth draws data from Space. Consequently there are virtually no industries and research organisations that cannot benefit from access to microgravity and Space.
Industry list
- Aerospace
- Agritech
- Biotech
- Chemicals
- Climate Science
- Communications
- Construction Materials
- Cosmetics
- Data
- Defence
- Electronics
- Energy
- Engineering
- Environment
- Food
- Life Science
- Marine
- Materials Science
- Nanomaterials
- Pharmaceuticals
- Power
- Research
- Robotics
- Satellites
- Security
- Spacetech
- Semiconductors
Talk to us about your testing campaign requirements.