Assembly, Integration, and Verification (AIV) facility
The AIV (link opens in a new window) facilities consist of a vibration test facility, thermal vacuum and bake-out facility as well as large clean rooms for assembling sensitive flight hardware.
British Atmospheric Data Centre (BADC)
The BADC (link opens in a new window)supplies meteorological and other atmospheric data to the scientific community, and also provides a long-term archive for data collected by NERC-funded research (Natural Environment Research Council).
Chilbolton Facility for Atmospheric and Radio Research
The Chilbolton Observatory (link opens in a new window) boasts some of the world's most advanced meteorological research equipment, including the 25m fully steerable Chilbolton Dish. The pioneering 3 GHz Doppler-polarisation radar is installed on this antenna, along with the 1275 MHz clear air radar. Other facilities at the site include experimental millimetre wave systems, meteorological sensors and a UV vertical sounding lidar.
Concurrent Design Facility
The RAL Space Concurrent Design Facility (CDF) is a newly commissioned facility for the quick and efficient conceptual design of complex space programmes. The CDF has been developed by RAL Space Engineers, but incorporates the experience and best practice of other CDFs located overseas (for example ESA-ESTEC, NASA, ASI, CNES, JAXA and DLR).
Precision Development Facility - Millimetre Wave Technology
The Precision Development Facility - Millimetre Wave Technology - is a comprehensive and well-equipped facility providing expertise in precision machining and novel component prototyping associated with the manufacture of miniature detectors. Using specialised techniques components as small as 100 x 26 microns can be produced.
Satellite Ground Station Facility and Control Centre
The Satellite Ground Station and Control Centre, located at RAL, is used for both uplink commanding and downlink telemetry reception. It is currently receiving data from the ACE satellite.
World Data Centre for Solar Terrestrial Physics (STP)
The World Data Centre for STP (link opens in a new window)system stores and distributes data relating to various geological disciplines. RAL maintains and updates a diverse set of observations from satellites and ground-based observatories concerning the Sun, interplanetary space, and the Earth's ionosphere.
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