Building Bristol's next-generation volcano monitoring satellite

The problem

How can we better monitor volcanic ash from space?

Volcanic ash poses a serious hazard to aviation and to communities living close to active volcanoes. Understanding the concentration and dispersion of ash plumes is essential for aviation safety and volcanic hazard management. Current observations don't always provide the information needed to understand the three-dimensional structure of an ash plume.

Researchers from Bristol's Earth Sciences and aerospace communities proposed a new approach: capture thermal infrared images of volcanic ash from multiple angles as a satellite passes overhead, enabling 3D reconstruction of the plume.

Our solution

Building a satellite to see volcanic ash from multiple angles

The University of Bristol Satellite (UoBSAT) programme brings together students and researchers from across the University to design, build and operate nanosatellites for scientific research.

Its first mission, PROVE Pathfinder, uses thermal infrared and visual cameras, alongside custom power and control electronics, to capture multi-angle observations of volcanic ash clouds. These observations will help researchers better understand plume structure, ash concentration and dispersion.

The programme combines expertise from aerospace engineering and Earth Sciences, translating a scientific challenge into a space-based monitoring system. Students play a central role in the project, contributing to the design, assembly and testing of the payload, spacecraft electronics and supporting systems.

As part of the mission's development, eight students travelled to ESA's CubeSat Support Facility in Belgium, where they carried out vibration, thermal vacuum and thermal balance testing to evaluate spacecraft performance in launch and spaceflight conditions.

Results and outcomes

The programme has delivered a range of outcomes across education, research and engineering, including:

• hands-on satellite development experience for more than 200 students
• ESA environmental testing completed by eight students at ESEC-Galaxia
• engineering data that informed flight model development
• published research contributing to wider understanding of CubeSat missions
• graduate progression into roles across the space sector.

Looking ahead

PROVE Pathfinder aims to provide new data on volcanic ash concentration and dispersion by enabling three-dimensional reconstruction of volcanic ash plumes from space. In future, this information could support aviation safety, hazard management and scientific understanding of volcanic activity, while continuing to develop the next generation of space scientists and engineers.