Craft Prospect develops ESA co-funded NanoSatCom capability for realistic satellite system testing and benchmarking

Glasgow-based space engineering company Craft Prospect is progressing the Responsive Operations Engineering Model Testbed activity – also called NanoSatCom – to develop a sophisticated testbed supporting hardware-in-the-loop testing and benchmarking of satellite systems. 

The activity is co-funded by £192,000 of UK Space Agency funding via the Industrial Competitiveness line within ESA's Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) programme, as a part of the Directorate of Resilience, Navigation and Connectivity. It aims to bridge the gap between benchtop satellite systems and realistic telemetry, sensor, and mission data, creating a more representative environment for testing satellite hardware, software, and autonomy-enabling components before deployment.

By combining software-defined components, simulation capability, and hardware-in-the-loop testing, NanoSatCom will support faster and more effective development of autonomous satellite systems, helping teams evaluate performance in realistic conditions without relying solely on full mission-scale infrastructure.

Building a more capable satellite testbed

In this latest phase of work, which is an extension of an existing ARTES Industrial Competitiveness contract, Craft Prospect is focused on improving and extending existing testbench capability through the use of modern tools and concepts, including a modernised graphical user interface (GUI) and application programming interface (API).

These updates will make the testbed more flexible, accessible, and effective for testing and demonstrating satellite system components in realistic operating conditions.

The activity will also deliver a demonstration of the testbed’s capabilities, including a pointing simulation designed to show how the environment can be used to evaluate satellite behaviour and performance.

Additional anticipated outputs include an improved camera simulator, a link budget estimator, and hardware RF and optical link effectors, further strengthening the testbed’s ability to simulate mission-relevant conditions.

Supporting autonomy and FDIR development

A key focus of NanoSatCom is the development of an autonomous Fault Detection, Isolation and Recovery (FDIR) component with potential for future deployment on real satellite systems.

FDIR is an important capability for autonomous spacecraft, enabling systems to detect issues, identify likely causes, and support recovery actions with reduced reliance on manual intervention from operators.

Through NanoSatCom, Craft Prospect will use the testbed to evaluate the effectiveness of autonomy-enabling components in realistic scenarios, supporting improved resource utilisation, more resilient satellite operations, and faster development cycles for future missions.

Duncan Wither, Craft Prospect Project Lead for NanoSatCom, said:

“NanoSatCom is an exciting opportunity to strengthen the way we test and demonstrate satellite systems before they reach orbit. By creating a more realistic hardware-in-the-loop environment, we can better evaluate autonomous components, communications links, and mission behaviours, helping reduce development risk while accelerating progress toward more capable and resilient spacecraft.”

Craft Prospect’s role

Craft Prospect is leading the NanoSatCom activity, bringing together its expertise across space systems, software, AI, and autonomous mission capability.

The project will strengthen Craft Prospect’s internal capability by providing a more advanced environment for testing and demonstrating mission systems, products, and services, supporting current and future work across onboard autonomy, secure communications, and intelligent satellite operations.

While the full testbed is being developed to support Craft Prospect’s own engineering and mission development needs, parts of the system may also have future product or customer-facing potential.

This includes software tools and hardware effectors that could support testing, benchmarking, and demonstration activities across a range of satellite systems and mission scenarios.

By developing these capabilities in a modular way, NanoSatCom will help Craft Prospect build a more flexible foundation for both internal development and future technology offerings.

Advancing Smart Secure Space

For Craft Prospect, NanoSatCom aligns closely with the company’s wider mission to deliver Smart Secure Space through more intelligent, autonomous, and resilient satellite systems.

By improving access to realistic test environments, the project will help accelerate the development of autonomy-enabling components and support the transition from early-stage concepts to deployable space technologies.

As satellite missions become more complex, interconnected, and autonomous, robust test and validation environments will play an increasingly important role in building confidence before launch.

NanoSatCom is a valuable step toward that future, supporting the development of smarter spacecraft systems that can be tested, benchmarked, and improved in realistic conditions.