Emergency services connectivity specialist & systems integrator Excelerate Technology is the prime contractor in a UK technology consortium that was awarded £6million in funding from the UK Space Agency this week, as part of its Connectivity in Low-Earth Orbit (C-LEO) programme that will help position the UK at the forefront of the burgeoning satellite mega-constellation market.

The consortium has been tasked with developing a multi-orbit, multi-beam satellite antenna that will give users unprecedented flexibility, allowing them to quickly and easily choose from a wide range of operators in different satellite orbits depending on where they are geographically located at that point in time, giving them seamless, high-speed connectivity in even the most remote locations.

The small and flexible Mobility and Autonomy Market User Terminal (MAMUT) will be a clever and innovative product allowing users to choose the operator and orbit via an app, reducing costs and enhancing global configurability.

Led by Excelerate Technology, the consortium will work on a three-year programme to bring MAMUT to market-readiness stage and includes space technology experts Satellite and Space Consulting Ltd, research institution Heriot Watt University, antenna designer Satraka Ltd and hardware and software specialists Jet Connectivity.

Bethan Evans, Chief Operating Officer at Excelerate said: “This is perhaps the most exciting time ever to be involved in the global space sector, which is experiencing a period of rapid change and growth with significant new mega-constellations and thousands of new satellites being deployed in the coming years. This £6million UK Space Agency funding now enables us to focus on developing a fantastic new product that will help keep the UK at the forefront of the space connectivity industry while helping connect communities in the most hard-to-reach areas of the UK and beyond.”

One of the first sectors to benefit from this new technology could be the emergency services sector, where ubiquitous connectivity for ambulance, police and fire & rescue organisations can have significant impacts on patient health, public safety and national resilience.

Richard Mountford, Business Development Director at Satraka Ltd said: “Satraka designs high performance, low size and power requirement flat panel antennas – satellite and cellular – for the mobility market to ensure strong data connectivity regardless of location. Satraka is excited to be part of the MAMUT project. Our innovative design reduces costs and removes price barriers, meaning for the first time blue light services would be able to access and scale this technology across their entire fleets.”

C-LEO funding from the UK Space Agency will support the development of smarter satellites with better hardware, the use of AI to make data delivery faster and improved connections between satellites – all creating interconnected networks serving billions worldwide.

Gary Wade, Managing Director of Satellite and Space Consulting Ltd said: “I am delighted to be working with such a dynamic and agile consortium of forward-looking and creative people as part of the first C-LEO project to start, and as one of only a handful of projects to be successful following this first UK Space Agency C-LEO programme funding round. In delivering the MAMUT project and taking it to market, the team – with the support of UK Space Agency – will be bringing a new generation of intelligent terminals that are able to switch between LEO, MEO and GEO constellations as well as between satellite operators without changing hardware, strengthening the UK’s presence in the LEO ground segment market with groundbreaking technology.”

George Goussetis, Professor of Microwave and Antenna Engineering at Heriot Watt University said: “Heriot-Watt has been working on antennas for satellite connectivity for over a decade and we are very excited to participate in MAMUT, which will drive user terminal innovation in this rapidly growing sector. Working in partnership with industry and the UK Space Agency, we will bring to this project our heritage in antenna design, control and testing. As part of the university’s space cluster, we are developing a unique capability for testing on-the-move terminals live over satellite and expanding our industrial partnerships towards developing next generation satcom solutions.”

James Thomas, Chief Executive Officer of Jet Connectivity said: “We’re excited to contribute our advanced 5G RAN (Radio Access Network) capabilities to the MAMUT project, ensuring users can seamlessly move between terrestrial 5G and satellite networks without any drop in performance or coverage. Our technology will help bridge connectivity gaps, especially in hard-to-reach areas, bringing higher speeds, improved reliability and more resilient communications to critical services and communities alike. By integrating JET’s 5G RAN with MAMUT’s multi-orbit flexibility, we’re laying the groundwork for truly ubiquitous connectivity, enabling secure, dependable access to data when and where it matters most.”