A Scottish space-software company, founded in 2011 and based in Dundee, that sells ready-made software for flying satellites and running them from the ground.
Bright Ascension makes software for space missions. Instead of every satellite team writing its own flight software from scratch, which is slow and risky, the company sells ready-made products that can be adapted. One kind runs on the spacecraft itself and one runs on the ground, in mission control. Its products have included a flight software development kit called GenerationOne and a newer range called HELIX. A flight software kit is a set of building blocks that engineers combine to control a satellite's computers, and mission control software lets operators send commands and read data back. A 2022 press release said 33 spacecraft had launched using its software.
Dr Peter Mendham founded the company in 2011. An early article says the GenerationOne software grew out of work on UKube-1, the UK's first CubeSat mission. A CubeSat is a very small satellite, often built by universities and small firms. Dr Mark McCrum, a software engineer with space-industry experience, joined in 2012 and became technical director. Later Mr Mendham moved to chief technology officer and Sandy Damm was appointed chief executive. The company said its priorities were growing the HELIX range, selling abroad and building security in from the start, and through its Bright Start Academic Programme it offers free or low-cost software to students and researchers. Mr Mendham said: "It is so important to support future skill-building within the industry."
In the UK, one report gives the headquarters as Dundee, and a company listing gives the address as Laurel Bank in Dundee. A later article mentions operations in both Dundee and Edinburgh. A regional guide to Space West lists the company in Bristol, but we found no other evidence of a Bristol office, so treat that as unconfirmed. The earliest article said nine employees; the directory lists 11 to 50, so it is a small business.
An early article said the company was restructuring to become employee-owned, with a trust holding an initial 20 per cent share, supported by Co-operative Development Scotland. That is dated and we have not checked whether it is still in place. It suggests a team-focused culture, though that is our reading rather than a company claim.
In a small software company for space you could expect software engineers, systems and test engineers, people who support customers building satellites, and a few sales, marketing and operations staff. Computing, maths, physics and electronics are the usual starting points, and space software is a field where a small UK company sells to teams across the world. The company's website will show the current team.
Website: www.brightascension.com
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