The University of Bath’s space capabilities span a wide range of disciplines, from core Faculties of Science and Engineering to Social Sciences and the School of Management. The university has had a long history of engagement with industry in the region and the wider UK, including relationships with Leonardo, Spirent Communications, Chronos Technology, Airbus, Reaction Engines and others. In addition to these strengths, the university has expertise in high frequency (HF) radar and GNSS technologies, data assimilation, in-space additive manufacturing, 4D (time dependent) tomography, composite materials, finite element analysis and design of commercial control centres.
The nationally significant Centre for Space, Atmospheric and Oceanic Science studies the environment of the Earth and near-earth space and their effects on advanced technological systems. Research on the earth’s ionosphere and solar flares has informed national policy on resilience of UK National Infrastructure to Space Weather events. Further research includes space imaging for situational awareness and space debris monitoring.
Likewise, the Astrophysics Group, a founding member of the Copernicus Academic Network, is very active in global collaborations, with strong industry connections at national and international level and together with the Institute of Mathematical Innovation has a focus on image and signal processing of EO data. In addition, the University of Bath is co-founder and an active member of the Global Network of Sustainability in Space (GNOSIS).
The Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning research Group is home to an array of research with applications in the space sector. Research associated with intelligent perception, planning and control for autonomous systems as well machine learning for computational 3D analysis will underpin technologies for space domain awareness fundamental for the sustainable exploitation of space in the future.
The Institute for Advanced Automotive Propulsion (IAAPS) is a centre of excellence for research, innovation, enterprise and education supporting the future direction of the automotive industry. Its focus is on smarter and cleaner engines, powertrain and driver technologies and it aims to accelerate the transition from low carbon to zero carbon vehicles. IAAPS propulsion expertise could feed into high power density electric machines, drives and energy storage systems; new developments in hydrogen fuel cell technology which could be applicable to space power and mobility applications. Synergies with future flight and advanced air mobility have already been identified and there are likely to be synergies with space propulsion.
