Revolutionising UK Satellite Telecoms: A Printable Approach to Helical Antennas in Orbit

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Lodestar is a fast-paced start-up on a mission to develop in-orbit 3D printing to build large structures in-orbit and save humanity here on earth.We're advancing space-rated 3D printing hardware to replace expensive, risky and heavy folding deployables with an extrusion based approach. With "printable" technology, we can unlock a massive leap forward in satellite capability, while de-risking deployment, and keeping costs low.Today satellite communication antennas are constrained by the volume and structure they must fit within a spacecraft, leading to decreased performance and high costs. Our first product overcomes these limitations by extruding conductive filament directly into the vacuum of space, allowing for the in-orbit manufacture of helical antennas that are optimised for any given specification.Our founding team comprises of two hardware engineers who have each completed their Masters theses on off-world manufacturing and the challenges of printing in a vacuum. We have a proven track record of building teams to deliver complex deep-tech projects such as Hyperloop, rocketry and drones, as well as securing the funding to make them a reality. We're being advised by field-leading experts at NASA and ESA in technical matters, and have a separate batch of commercial and financial advisors through our residence in the renowned Entrepreneur First accelerator program where we've recently closed our pre-seed funding of £145k.Lodestar maintains close affiliation with our previous academic institutions to jointly apply for further public funding, we're currently being supported by the UKSA Explore Programme, and we will be developing innovative IP over the coming months, positioning us as the best team to revolutionise UK satellite communication through off-world construction.