STARWELL

The STARWELL facility is dedicated to providing high-accuracy, SI-traceable calibration services for optical instruments on small, cube, and nano satellites. NPL's facility, located at the Harwell Space Campus, has been developed to meet the growing demand for reliable, cost-effective calibration in the fast-evolving small satellite sector. Through its calibration capabilities across the UV-SWIR range, STARWELL supports the calibration of optical cameras, multispectral and hyperspectral imagers, radiometers and other key instruments for Earth observation missions that deliver data critical for climate monitoring and environmental assessments, offering a comprehensive solution for pre-launch instrument characterisation, backed by NPL's expertise in calibration methods and implementation. 

Derived as a sister facility to the STAR-cc-OGSE system, this setup enables radiometric measurements from 320 nm to 2500 nm using both monochromatic and broadband sources, with exceptional characterised performance : wavelength accuracy below 0.03 nm and calibration uncertainty under 0.5% (k=1). The facility also offers characterisations such as absolute spectral response, linearity, polarisation sensitivity, stray light characterisation, and spectral calibration. By providing agile, affordable access to world-class calibration services, STARWELL empowers start-ups, SMEs, and research institutions, lowering barriers to entry and enhancing mission reliability and data quality.