Sky's no limit as tech firm heads into space

Dec 3 2009 By Andrew Mernin, The Journal

NEXT year a North East technology firm will see its specialist equipment blasted into space as part of a major science experiment.

But the company’s contract to supply parts which will be used on the International Space Station will not be its only foray into the final frontier.

Washington-based Isocom, which makes components that transfer electronic signals via a beam of light, is working with an international group of astrophysicists and cosmologists on a device called the Alphamagnetic Spectrometer (AMS).

The AMS is a particle physics experiment to be mounted on the International Space Station next summer and will be used to search for various types of unusual matter.

Isocom will supply its ‘hermetic optocouplers’ to the project which involves over 200 people from 31 institutions in 15 countries.

They will help make observations about particles in space, in the hope of answering questions about the Big Bang theory and the make-up of the Universe’s invisible mass.

However, the company is also working on a number of additional space-age projects as Russians, Europeans and the Chinese all call on the expertise of Isocom’s small team.

The company, which employs around 10 people at its site on the Crowther Industrial Estate, has signed a new deal with a Chinese government-run organisation in a bid to boost its foothold in the Far East.

It has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the state-owned Sichuan Jiuzhou Electric Group and Mianyang City.

The agreement followed the recent visit of a Chinese delegation to the North East and came with the help of UK Trade and Investment.

Isocom managing director Thomas Bayat said: "This agreement is the cul mination of a year’s work and is a positive step towards developing a strong bond between Isocom and Jiuzhou.

"Through sharing knowledge and technology we can allow each other to have a better understanding of the market and from this develop our product ranges to meet demand."

Xuetang Liu, overseas director of Jiuzhou Optoelectronics, said: "Our Chinese officials would like to know more about the optical semiconductor industry, allowing us to accelerate our LED industry development with the intention of creating a strong association between Isocom and Jiuzhou with respect to research and development and UK marketing."

Meanwhile, the Russians are also vying for a piece of Isocom’s technology. In the early nineties, the Russian Government developed a counterpart to the American’s Global Positioning System (GPS), which consists of 21 satellites on three orbital planes.

The Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) has used Isocom’s technology to boost its ongoing development.

Isocom, which also supplies the military and industrial markets, is also in contact with the European Space Agency to work on future projects.