How our space
technology works
From the satellite in orbit to the operator on the ground: how Infinity Space, a UK space company, turns small sovereign spacecraft into secure, decision-ready capability.
Every Infinity Space mission follows the same chain: sense, decide, secure and deliver. Small satellites collect data in low Earth orbit, process it onboard, protect it with encryption and quantum-secure keys, and hand it to our ground segment for the people who need it.
How a satellite mission works, step by step
Whatever the payload, whether imaging, RF sensing or quantum optics, the journey from orbit to decision follows four stages.
Sense from low Earth orbit
Our small satellites operate in low Earth orbit, between 160 and 600 km up. Depending on the mission they carry imaging cameras, RF receivers or quantum optics payloads, collecting data as they pass over areas of interest.
Decide onboard
Rather than sending everything to the ground, an onboard processor running edge AI filters raw data in orbit, detects what matters and ranks it, so only priority information uses the limited downlink.
Secure the link
Data is stored encrypted and sent over protected radio links. Our quantum missions develop the next layer: encryption keys exchanged with single photons, where any interception is physically detectable.
Deliver to the operator
Each pass is tracked and received by our ground segment, including the Infinity Ground Station in Maesteg, Wales, then processed and passed to operators and command systems in near real time.
Small satellites, serious capability
Our spacecraft are built on standardised small-satellite formats: 2U and 3U CubeSats on our NextStar chassis, a 1.5P PocketQube, and the saucer-class HALO.
Every satellite carries the same core systems in miniature: solar panels and batteries for power, an onboard computer to run the mission, attitude control to point the spacecraft, and radios to talk to the ground. Standard sizes mean proven parts, lower cost and shared launches, so missions can be built, flown and replaced faster than traditional large satellites.
Deciding what matters, in orbit
Machine-learning models are trained on the ground, then run on a low-power processor aboard the satellite, analysing data the moment it is collected.
On SerenSat-AI, a triple-camera suite feeds an AI edge processor that detects vehicle movements, infrastructure change and maritime patterns, discards empty frames and ranks what is left. The result is a small, prioritised package instead of gigabytes of raw imagery, which is critical when a ground-station pass lasts only minutes. The mission also measures how AI copes with radiation, temperature swings and tight power budgets in orbit.
Encryption keys secured by physics
Quantum key distribution uses single photons to share encryption keys. The laws of quantum mechanics mean any attempt to intercept them leaves a detectable trace.
Phoenix QuantumSat carries a source of entangled photon pairs and sends one photon of each pair to each of two ground stations. Their measurements are correlated, so after comparing settings over an ordinary channel both hold an identical key. If the error rate rises, someone has been listening and the key is thrown away. DragonSat supports this work by proving quantum optics survive real orbital conditions.
One chain, six technologies
Each Infinity Space mission proves or delivers a link in the chain. Explore how each one works.
ATLAS
55 CubeSats operate as one system, sharing tasks and re-tasking automatically if a node is lost or jammed.
How it works — ATLAS
DragonSat
A PocketQube that prepares, transmits and measures quantum states in orbit to prove the hardware survives space.
How it works — DragonSat
SerenSat-AI
A triple-camera 2U CubeSat that turns imagery into intelligence onboard and downlinks only what matters.
How it works — SerenSat-AI
Phoenix QuantumSat
Entangled photon pairs from a 3U CubeSat create encryption keys that reveal any attempt at interception.
How it works — Phoenix QuantumSat
HALO
A saucer-class ISR platform, developed with OrbitalX, whose disc shape and active surface become part of the payload.
How it works — HALO
Infinity Ground Station
Our station in Maesteg, Wales tracks passing satellites, receives their data and passes it securely onward.
How it works — Infinity Ground StationSpace technology, explained
What is a CubeSat?
A CubeSat is a small satellite built from standard 10 cm units, known as U. A 2U CubeSat is two units long and a 3U is three. Standard sizes mean off-the-shelf parts, lower costs and shared rides to orbit, which is why our SerenSat-AI (2U) and Phoenix QuantumSat (3U) use the format. DragonSat uses the even smaller PocketQube standard.
How do satellites send data back to Earth?
A satellite in low Earth orbit is only in view of a ground station for a few minutes per pass. During that window it transmits by radio to a tracking antenna, which follows it across the sky. Our spacecraft use UHF downlinks, and our ground segment, including the Infinity Ground Station in Wales, receives and processes the data.
Why process data on the satellite instead of on the ground?
Sensors can gather far more data than a short ground-station pass can carry. Onboard edge AI analyses data where it is collected and sends only what matters, saving bandwidth and cutting the time between observation and decision.
What is quantum key distribution (QKD)?
QKD is a way of sharing encryption keys using single particles of light. Measuring a quantum state disturbs it, so anyone trying to intercept the key introduces errors that the two legitimate parties can detect. Keys that pass this check are then used to encrypt data. Phoenix QuantumSat is our mission to deliver QKD from orbit.
Why use a swarm of small satellites instead of one large one?
A swarm spreads capability across many low-cost spacecraft. Coverage is more persistent, and losing one unit degrades the system gracefully rather than switching it off. Our ATLAS mission uses a 55-unit CubeSat swarm.
Where is Infinity Space based?
Infinity Space is a UK space company with its headquarters at Harwell Campus in Oxfordshire and its ground station at the Llynfi Enterprise Centre in Maesteg, Wales.
Sovereign space technology, end to end
From our headquarters at Harwell Campus to our ground station in Maesteg, Wales, Infinity Space designs and operates its missions here in the UK, giving defence and government users sovereign capability they can rely on.
Proudly working with
