Voted best “UK Technology Start-Up” in 2015, venture capital backed Oxford Space Systems is bringing a new generation of deployable structures to the space industry. Market pressure drives satellites to be ever more mass & volume efficient. This means deployable structures such as antennas, solar panels and booms are under constant pressure to be as light and as stowage efficient as possible. OSS uses its flight proven proprietary materials, such as flexible composites, to deliver structures that are lighter, more stowage efficient and lower cost than those in current demand.

Oxford Space Systems (OSS) is developing proprietary materials that, when combined with design techniques such as origami, allow it produce class-leading deployables for a range of commercial and military applications.  The company has also developed unique proprietary analytical tools for the modelling and tuning of its flexible composite materials. This significantly reduces both cost and development time of its products. This is showcased by the setting a space industry record by going from product concept to orbit in under 30 months.  This was achieved with its AstroTube™ flexible composite boom, the world’s longest retractable boom system.  

Revenue generating since inception in late 2013, profitable contracts have been secured with a number of European and Asian satellite builders. Co-development collaboration contracts are also under way with Europe’s largest satellite builders as well as emerging players in the developing market of smaller and cheaper satellites: micro and cubesats. The company’s strategy is to validate its range of products in the low earth orbit market and use data and experience to secure design-ins for the lucrative and well established geo-stationary telecomms market. For the latter, OSS is receiving global interest in its large unfurlable antennas and is under NDA with a well-known US defence contractor and large satellite builder to explore opportunities.    

Drawing on conventional wisdom as well fresh thinking, the OSS team is at the forefront of developments in the new space age. Based at UK government-supported Harwell Space Cluster – home to over 65 space companies – Oxford Space Systems enjoys access to state of the art test facilities and expertise

Founded by experienced entrepreneur & CEO, Mike Lawton, the multi-award winning Oxford Space Systems team contains a diverse range of world-class expertise in the fields of aerospace, mechanical, electronic and thermal engineering for the space environment. The OSS Board contains investing Non Exec Directors who have held senior positions in European and Canadian space hardware companies.  

OSS is backed by a small consortium of leading UK venture capital funds and enjoys the financial support of Innovate UK, the European and UK Space Agencies. The company anticipates Series B fundraising in early of 2017.