Blast Off: Critical Software Attends UK Space Conference

At the final frontier, we’re cleaning up.  

Critical Software recently attended the UK Space Conference in Belfast as part of its continued work on the CLEAR Mission, led by ClearSpace and supported by the UK Space Agency. The conference showcased our work on the mission and gave our engineers the opportunity to network with the wider ClearSpace consortium as well as renowned British astronaut Major Tim Peake. 

CLEAR aims to help out in the grander mission of removing satellite debris from the Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) environment by clearing two UK-registered satellites, with the possibility of reuse in future. Space waste is a growing concern: over 1700 satellites were launched into orbit in 2022, with 18,500 due to be deployed over the next decade, with many of these not making the return journey and being left in orbit. 

Critical’s involvement in the CLEAR Mission focuses on the development and validation of the On-Board Central Software using a modular architecture.  

Callum Connolly, Critical’s project lead who attended the Space Conference, said of the event: “It was a fantastic experience to meet with the ClearSpace team and consortium, as well as the wider UK Space Network. We’re all on the same team in Space and it is a privilege to be part of such a talented and dedicated network.”