A company revolutionising rocket technology with water-based and sustainable propulsion solutions has significantly expanded its operations at Westcott Venture Park, moving its headquarters into a state-of-the-art facility that will enable it to more than double its workforce and produce more than a hundred thrusters per year.
URA Thrusters, which specialises in sustainable propulsion solutions, has taken occupancy of Building 9002, a state-of-the-art facility of nearly 11,000 sq ft, marking a significant milestone in the company's remarkable growth journey since arriving at the Buckinghamshire site in 2022.
The expansion comes just three years after URA established its thruster testing operations at Westcott's historic R-site, which the company extensively refurbished to create the TESTA facility, a fully remote 24/7 in-vacuum propulsion testing site for chemical thrusters. That initial investment has paid off, with the company growing from three staff members to around 30 employees, expanding its chemical propulsion testing capacity on another Westcott’s historic sites, C-site, and creating new electric propulsion testing facilities.
URA now operates several vacuum testing chambers within Building 9002, along with a thermal-vacuum chamber, new clean rooms, propulsion, mechanical and electrical labs, etc. which allow them to accommodate several simultaneous assemblies. With all this investment, URA has become one of the few companies in the world with capacity for full integration, production and in-vacuum testing capacity for both, chemical (up to 20 N) and electric (up to 3 / 10 kW) thrusters.
Moreover, the adjoining Building 9003 houses the largest electric propulsion vacuum testing facilities in the UK, open to the public, and operated by Westcott Shared Facilities.
Alberto Garbayo, CEO of URA, said: “These testing capabilities, alongside the UK Space Agency’s National Space Propulsion Test Facility, makes Westcott one of leading propulsion testing sites in world, as well as an ideal location for other Space companies.”
Cristina Galdamez, Head of Operations at URA Thrusters, said: "This new space provides the room we need to continue developing and maturing our technologies, and growing the business, with plans to reach 50 employees within two years and 70 within five years”.
“Being part of the Westcott Space Cluster has proven invaluable for us, enabling collaboration with fellow cluster members and creating an environment where we're all working towards the same goals. The community here at Westcott, and the improvements being made across the park, are helping us attract the talent we need to deliver our sustainable propulsion systems."
The facility has been designed with future ambitions in mind, featuring a high bay workshop and labs which could become the second or third largest satellite AIT workshop in the UK, with overhead gantry crane capacity of up to 5 tonnes. The building accommodates both URA and its sister company AVS UK, which designs and develops Satellites and Mechanisms, Robotics and Electronics subsystems for Space and Science customers, including Airbus, NASA, CERN, STFC or Astroscale.
URA was established in 2019 as a spin-off from the AVS Group and delivers propulsion solutions for spacecraft using water as fuel. By splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen, the company provides a much more sustainable alternative to both, toxic chemical solutions like hydrazine, or high energy-demanding propellants like Xenon, that are typically used in the industry, reducing the environmental impact of Space activities on Earth.
Aman Sharma, Investment Manager at PATRIZIA, said: "URA Thrusters represents exactly what we envisioned for Westcott when we embarked on this development programme. To see such an innovative company grow from its initial operations at the Innovation Centre to now occupying this flagship facility demonstrates both the company's success and Westcott's ability to support businesses throughout their growth journey.
“URA's pioneering work in sustainable propulsion technology positions them at the forefront of the space industry's evolution, and we're proud to provide the infrastructure that enables their continued expansion."
The move forms part of a major development programme backed by £5.9 million from the Space Clusters Infrastructure Fund (SCIF) of the UK Space Agency, secured through the Westcott Space Hub collaborative bid led by URA and including PATRIZIA, Buckinghamshire Council and Skyports Drone Services.
URA's expansion into Building 9002 reflects the company's continued commitment to Westcott as their base for delivering sustainable propulsion systems and underscores the park's position as a leading hub for space innovation in the UK.
