Rosetta technology used on submarine

Technology from the Rosetta space mission is being used to develop a new instrument for the UK's future submarine programme.

BAE Systems and scientists from The Open University have been working on a new system that monitors the precarious environmental atmospheres found on-board submarines.

Capable of analysing dozens of gas species simultaneously with a response time of less than a minute, the new instrument far exceeds the abilities of the current system and is similar to the technology that recently landed on a comet.

Analox Military Systems is now developing the prototype analyser after it was awarded a £1 million contract from BAE Systems. It will deliver a significant increase in performance, improved reliability, and lower procurement and through-life costs.

The new system will be smaller and lighter than the current one, capable of functioning in extreme environments while remaining robust and operating for long periods with minimal human interaction.