---
title: "Gravity Off-Load System (Unit B)"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-03e1ee"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-03e1ee"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03e1ee.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03e1ee.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Planning"
buyer: "SATELLITE APPLICATIONS CATAPULT"
published: "2023-07-14"
---

# Gravity Off-Load System (Unit B)

Buyer: SATELLITE APPLICATIONS CATAPULT  
Current stage: Planning  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-03e1ee

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## Summary

The Satellite Applications Catapult is planning to procure a Gravity Off-Load System (Unit B) for their new facility in Westcott, UK. The system will simulate orbital environments, supporting objects up to 200kg with 6 degrees of freedom, and be capable of moving objects in any direction. The procurement falls under the goods category in the Industrial robots industry. The initiation type is a tender, with a future notice date set for September 15, 2023.

This tender for the Gravity Off-Load System presents an opportunity for businesses in the Industrial robots sector to participate in providing cutting-edge technology for simulating in-orbit dynamics. Companies well-versed in developing advanced control systems and equipment for space-related applications would be well-suited to compete. The procurement process is in the planning stage, offering potential suppliers time to prepare innovative solutions that meet the Catapult's requirements for orbital simulation.

## Notice

The Satellite Applications Catapult is seeking a suitable provider to an overhead gantry system that will enable simulation of orbital environments by off-loading the effect of gravity on a suspended object. The system provided will installed in a new Catapult facility and will cover an area of 15m x 15m x 7m (lxwxh) and capable of carrying a 200kg payload. The system will be required to suspend objects in a free-floating manner but be able to move the object in any direction when a force is applied to it, thus simulating the in-orbit dynamics experienced during contact between space craft. As such, 6 degrees of freedom are required at the attachment point. The system will need to utilise its own control system to enable this, but it must be possible to provide force, position, and trajectory data to external systems in a suitable format for data processing and control of other systems. Installation & commissioning of the system is to be included by the supplier.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

This is a prior information notice outlining this potential requirement to make the market aware of the potential upcoming need. If this progresses, procurement documentation will be published on the MyTenders portal and will be conducted by a competitive procurement process. We do not have further information to share at this point. Please ensure that you have registered your interest on the MyTenders portal to receive further updates about this opportunity. Additional information: Additional background information is provided in the downloadable document "Background SAC IOSM Facility" - if you are having issues locating this document, please contact procurement@sa.catapult.org.uk to request a copy.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/020268-2023 |
| Notice type | Planning Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Goods |
| Procurement method | Not Specified |
| Procurement method details | Not specified |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Planning |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 14 Jul 2023 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | 14 Sep 2023 |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £400,000 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Planned |
| Lots status | Planned |
| Awards status | Not specified |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | SATELLITE APPLICATIONS CATAPULT |
| Locality | DIDCOT |
| Post town | Oxford |
| Postcode | OX11 0QR |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLJ South East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLJ1 Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire |
| ITL 3 | TLJ14 Oxfordshire CC |
| Local authority | Vale of White Horse |
| Electoral ward | Hendreds |
| Westminster constituency | Didcot and Wantage |
| Delivery location | TLJ13 Buckinghamshire |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 42 - Industrial machinery

### Codes

- 42997300 - Industrial robots

## Release History

- 14 Jul 2023 at 11:22 - Planning - Planning Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/020268-2023

## Notice URLs

- https://sa.catapult.org.uk/
- https://www.mytenders.co.uk/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=229853
- https://www.mytenders.co.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA42845

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-03e1ee. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03e1ee.json.