Gravitilab Engineers Microgravity Research System with UAV

Rob Adlard, CEO and technical director of Gravitilab (photo by Gravitilab)

Gravitilab Aerospace Services, a U.K. space engineering company, has claimed a world first for microgravity research and testing. At a UAV testing site in Cornwall in the United Kingdom, the company engineered what it claims is the first ever commercial microgravity service using its UAV technology. The company announced the results of the test, Feb. 1.

This test, was commissioned by Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership. Gravitilab’s UAV solution ascended to 2,000 ft and then released the payload within their patent protected ‘LOUIS’ drop-pod, achieving a period of microgravity.

Making microgravity more accessible allows Gravitilab to offer unique R&D conditions for industries as diverse as pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, building materials, communications, SpaceTech and climate science. Gravitilab, which is currently in discussions with new investors, has to date been funded by the UK Space Agency (UKSA) and private capital. The company is committed to using its technology to unlock the supply chain to help support the growth of the space economy.

“This is a fantastic collaborative achievement for Gravitilab, the Cornwall Space Cluster, and the U.K. space industry as a whole. The only option for terrestrial microgravity testing until now has been to wait several years for access to a drop tower in Germany, which provides two seconds of microgravity. Our service can be delivered locally, is less expensive and as a result of our demonstration flight, we are on target to offer 5 to 20 seconds of high-quality microgravity using our LOUIS UAV system,” Rob Adlard, CEO and technical director of Gravitilab, said in a statement.