RAL Space

RAL Space, the UK National Space Laboratory within the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), is based at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory on the Harwell Campus. It provides space-hardware design, assembly, integration, calibration, and testing, including clean rooms, small-scale test facilities, and the National Satellite Test Facility for payloads and satellites up to 7,000 kg. Its wider capabilities include ground-station and scientific-data services, and RAL Space also operates Chilbolton Observatory for atmospheric, radiocommunications, astronomy, and space-technology research. External use is arranged through RAL Space enquiries and, for the National Satellite Test Facility, project-specific commercial contracts; this is a research and test site rather than a general walk-in visitor attraction.