Northern Ireland software company Skytek is bringing expertise honed in space back to Earth with the help of the new Space Technology Exploitation Programme (STEP).
Skytek is one of three Northern Ireland (NI) SMEs awarded UK Space Agency research funding in a STEP pilot project, managed by ADS, that is designed to support the development of innovative technology for the UK’s growing space sector.
Its project, AR4Space, sets out to harness Skytek’s “ground-breaking advancements” in augmented reality (AR) technology for applications in the spacecraft assembly, integration, and test (AIT) sector. The 18-month project concludes in February 2025.
The NI-based company is known for procedure support systems used by astronauts on board the International Space Station (ISS). Skytek software on tablets or laptops deployed onboard the ISS takes astronauts through the steps involved to carry out experiments, perform system maintenance and other tasks such as preparing for space walks.
The irony of bringing it back to Earth is not lost on Skytek’s chief technical officer and co-founder Paul Kiernan. “Our heritage is in space,” he said. “We’re software developers behind products that crew use daily on board the ISS.
“People told us our procedure support was of interest to those on the ground who perform test campaigns on satellites, launchers and other space vehicles before launch.”
Skytek appears to be in the right place at the right time, coupling the emerging technology of AR with the evolution of the EGS-CC standard developed by ESA and major space primes to unify their test procedures and enable interfacing between spacecraft and test equipment.
