SuperSharp advances toward 2026 mission with funding boost and prototype completion
SuperSharp Space Systems Ltd (SuperSharp), a spin-off from the University of Cambridge, has marked two major achievements on its path toward space deployment. The UK Space Agency has awarded the company £5 million to support an in-orbit demonstration of its innovative unfolding thermal infrared (TIR) telescope, designed to aid climate change mitigation. Simultaneously, SuperSharp has finalized and delivered the first prototype of its high-resolution space telescope, Hibiscus, which is slated for launch in the final quarter of 2026. The Centre for Earth Observation Instrumentation, in collaboration with the UK Space Agency, backed the prototype's development. These accomplishments solidify SuperSharp's rising prominence in leveraging space-based imaging to combat climate change.