In the past ORBIT has been used to simulate the capture of orbital debris and the interlocking together of satellite elements. The ORBIT facility is essential for recreating the weightlessness of space on Earth and, with that, validating the design of orbiting systems before they are sent to space.

The Coco project aims to make small satellites manoeuvrable using fewer thrusters. In order to allow them to move in all directions, it is quite common for satellites to have multiple thrusters studded in all directions. By contrast, the project’s ‘Compliant Thrust Vectoring Mechanism’ involves as few as two thrusters, but able to be rotated by vectoring mechanisms for firing in any direction, while avoiding the friction involved in traditional vectoring mechanisms. The aim is to achieve the same versatile satellite motion while reducing mass, volume and overall costs.