About Clyde Space
Earlier this month Clyde Space – a space technology company based at the West of Scotland Science Park in Glasgow – hosted a fantastic visit and tour for 4 of the 7 teams who have made it through to the Scottish CanSat Competition 2012 launch and final. Clyde Space was founded in 2005 by Craig Clark, and has gone from strength to strength in the intervening years. The company specialises in supplying small spacecraft systems and CubeSats; where their innovative and synergistic use of commercial off-the-shelf parts (COTS) and bespoke development means they are recognised as one of the prime space companies in the UK.
Clyde Space Scottish CanSat tour
The host for the CanSat tour was Steve Greenland – Senior Systems Engineer – who alongside Tejal Thakore, Alan, Marcus and the rest of the team welcomed 4 Scottish schools and provided an afternoon of information and inspiration for space and satellite technology. Bearsden Academy and Kings Park Secondary School in Glasgow joined Largs Academy and Lomond School (Helensburgh) to discuss space technology and nanospace, CanSats, and to ask questions that might help them win the Scottish CanSat Competition.
The tour included a great overview of Clyde Space and the work that they do from Steve – including an insight into CubeSats and the forthcoming UKube-1 launch in 2013. Each of the schools presented on their competition progress then participated in an ask-the-expert session with Steve, Alan and some of the technical team. Tee gave an insight into the process and techniques she used to design and develop a CanSat for her degree qualification, and the tour finished with a visit to the labs and rest of the facilities.
The tour provided teams real insight into the space industry, and access to world-class facilities, cutting-edge innovation and experts with a wealth of expertise in small satellite missions. It also demonstrated an award-winning Scottish company who are successful on an international level in science and technology arenas: something which the Scottish CanSat Competition winner will be replicating when they reach the European final in Norway…
Thanks and good luck with CubeSat and UKube-1…
Many thanks to Steve Greenland and all the team at Clyde Space – and good luck with all the CubeSat work: we’ll be following the UKube-1 progress! Photos from the day will be added to this and the Scottish CanSat facebook page in the near future…