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Image credit: NASA

QinetiQ’s space business has secured a new contract worth €8.5m with the European Space Agency (ESA) for the development and production of microgravity-based heat transfer experiments, expected to be installed on the International Space Station (ISS) in 2026.

Called the Heat Transfer Host 1, or simply HOST1, the contract includes the development of the experimentation platform and four scientific experiments for studying heat transfer phenomena within different types of heat pipes while in microgravity: the heat pipes in question are used in thermal management of electronics, engines in automotive and aeronautic industries, and heat recovery systems like thermal solar panels.

Jim Graham, Managing Director for QinetiQ’s space business commented, “Following on from our successful win of the €9m HOST2 contract in November last year, we’re delighted to secure HOST1. This latest win demonstrates the value of our investment in the new cleanroom facility in Belgium, as well as further establishing our expertise in the space sector for delivering highly sophisticated scientific experiments in orbit. We look forward to working closely with ESA on this exciting project.”