1. About the Facility

The NSPTF is the UK’s national space propulsion testing facility, providing vacuum testing capabilities for chemical propulsion systems used on spacecraft and satellites. It supports development, qualification and acceptance rocket engine testing programmes for industry and academia. 

The NSPTF was established through a £4 million investment from the UK Space Agency to create a national capability for propulsion testing. It builds on the UK’s rocket testing heritage to support advanced space propulsion development.

The NSPTF is owned by the UK Space Agency, managed by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), and operated by Nammo. Together, these organisations deliver a national propulsion testing facility for the UK space sector.

The NSPTF is delivered through collaboration between the UK Space Agency, Nammo, and the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC). These organisations work together to provide national propulsion testing capability.

The NSPTF is located at Westcott Venture Park in Buckinghamshire, UK.

The NSPTF enables UK companies and academics to test propulsion systems within the UK, reducing reliance on overseas facilities. It supports innovation in advanced and more sustainable propulsion technologies.

The facility supports hot-fire testing of monopropellant and bipropellant propulsion systems, including reaction control system (RCS) thrusters, attitude control system (ACS) thrusters and apogee engines. The NSPF is designed for rocket engine testing under simulated vacuum conditions.

The NSPTF supports RCS thrusters, ACS thrusters, apogee engines and in-space propulsion systems, including satellite propulsion systems, as part of its rocket engine testing capability in vacuum conditions.

The facility supports monopropellant and bipropellant propulsion systems and operates using Nammo’s J3 horizontal-firing hypergolic test stand. It supports Hydrazine, Monomethylhydrazine (MMH), and Mixed Oxides of Nitrogen (MON-3), with compatibility for High Test Peroxide (dedicated feed system not currently available).

The NSPTF supports thrust ranges of 100N to 1,500N for in-space propulsion engines as part of its rocket engine testing capability. This enables a wide range of propulsion testing facility programmes for in-space applications.

The NSPTF vacuum system can reach pressures as low as 1.5 mbar, equivalent to an altitude of approximately 168,000 ft (51.2 km).

The facility uses a high-capacity vacuum system to reduce pressure to levels equivalent to high altitude and near-space environments. This enables space simulation testing of propulsion systems under representative operating conditions.

The NSPTF supports development, qualification testing and acceptance testing across a wide range of thruster types as part of its facility capability.

The facility includes an instrumented thrust stand with full data acquisition and flow/temperature measurement, along with dual thermal imaging cameras, optical camera systems and site-wide CCTV coverage.

The NSPTF supports organisations developing spacecraft propulsion systems, including commercial space companies, propulsion manufacturers, research organisations and academic institutions. The facility provides access to advanced propulsion testing capabilities for development, qualification and acceptance testing programmes.

Yes. The NSPTF is available to both UK and international organisations developing spacecraft propulsion systems. Access is subject to technical, safety and regulatory review requirements. Contact the NSPTF team to discuss your testing objectives and project requirements.

The NSPTF primarily supports the UK space sector, including companies and academic institutions developing spacecraft propulsion systems. It is focused on advancing space propulsion testing and innovation.

Contact the NSPTF team using the enquiry form or by email to discuss your requirements and testing objectives. The team will guide you through the booking process, from initial discussion and technical review through to scheduling your rocket testing facility campaign.

An Initial Customer Information form and a Detailed Customer Information form are required as part of the booking process. These support technical discussions and proposal development.

Testing campaigns should be discussed with the NSPTF team as early as possible. Scheduling depends on factors such as facility availability, programme complexity and technical requirements. Contact us to discuss your project and we will advise on likely lead times and available test windows.

The vacuum system is designed for rapid start-up, with test conditions achieved in under 15 minutes.

The customer room enables real-time monitoring and analysis of live test data during propulsion testing campaigns.

The NSPTF provides fully instrumented test capability with real-time monitoring support during testing campaigns.

Live test data is streamed directly to the customer room for monitoring and analysis during campaigns.

Integrated video conferencing facilities support remote collaboration with teams and stakeholders during testing campaigns.

Flexible working space is provided for technical discussions, monitoring and analysis throughout testing operations.

The NSPTF provides guidance through every stage of the process, including technical discussions, proposal development, scheduling and test execution support.