Surrey students celebrate string of awards for space projects

Peryton Space, a team of students at the University of Surrey, has just taken home the latest in a raft of awards for various innovative projects.

They’re the group behind DARWIN – a small satellite capable of detecting and tracking simulated wildfires – which won the prestigious UK Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (UKSEDS) satellite design competition.

Measuring just 10cm by 10cm by 30cm, DARWIN uses a thermal camera to detect heat spots and an optical camera to determine distance in order to calibrate temperature readings.

Peryton Space has also enjoyed success at other UKSEDS competitions, including the In-Orbit Servicing and Manufacturing competition – which gives students experience in mission design, engineering, business development and other industry skills.

They came second at the Mach-24 rocketry competition, where their high-powered rocket reached a record altitude of 2.5km, and won an award for the best presentation at the Race2Space National Propulsion competition.

“We’re delighted with our 2024 results and really proud of the team,” they said.

“There are students of all backgrounds and disciplines on our team, which ensures we have a range of expertise, and our members get invaluable experience ready for careers in the space sector.

“Some members of Peryton Space are working on the Jovian-1 satellite project here at the University of Surrey.

“This involves collaborating with industry professionals and students from partnering universities and applying the skills learned from Peryton Space to working on a spacebound project.”