Frontier Space achieves major orbital milestone with first in-orbit biotech mission
Frontier Space, a graduate of the European Space Agency Business Incubation Centre (ESA BIC) at Space Park Leicester and current tenant at the University of Leicester’s £100 million space innovation hub, has successfully completed its first orbital mission, marking a significant step forward in space-based biomanufacturing and scientific research.
The mission, launched on 21 April 2025 in partnership with ATMOS Space Cargo on board SpaceX’s Bandwagon-3, validated Frontier’s SpaceLab Mark 1 platform consisting of a miniature self-contained space laboratory designed to conduct cutting-edge microgravity research.
The successful in-orbit demonstration confirms the readiness of core systems including power, computing, imaging, and communications, paving the way for scalable, space-enabled drug discovery and life sciences innovation.
Among the key outcomes was a collaborative experiment with Imperial College London to assess the performance of freeze-dried biological samples in Low Earth Orbit, a foundational step toward scalable pharmaceutical research in space. The mission also tested an in-house microfluidics platform, which is used in cell culture experiments, with promising ground and partial flight data supporting further development.
Anjali Sanjay, Business Development & Communications Manager at Frontier Space said: “Our journey with ESA BIC has been nothing short of transformative. From day one, the team has supported us across every stage, be it business mentoring, technical guidance, IP protection, or connecting us with investors and key stakeholders. Their hands-on involvement, from reviewing our proposals to arranging sales workshops, has strengthened both our product and our confidence.
“A special thanks to Vinay Patel at Space Park Leicester, whose constant support and responsiveness made a real difference. ESA BIC isn’t just an incubator; it’s a true partner that has helped us evolve not just as a company but as innovators ready to make a difference.”
Vinay Patel, Head of Commercial & Innovation Space Park Leicester, said: “Frontier Space’s successful orbital mission is an outstanding achievement and a testament to the kind of bold, innovative science being developed here in Leicester.
“Their journey, from ESA BIC incubation to proving biotech systems in orbit, perfectly illustrates the role Space Park Leicester plays in nurturing world-leading space ventures.
“We’re proud to support pioneering companies like Frontier that are shaping the future of space-enabled science and industry.”
Frontier Space’s milestone mission is not only a technical triumph, but also a signal of what’s to come. With its SpaceLab platform, the team aims to unlock affordable, modular infrastructure for scientific and commercial activity in orbit including pharmaceuticals, sustainable food production, and more. The next missions will focus on sample return capabilities, advanced data handling, and payload scaling.
Aqeel Shamsul, CEO of Frontier Space said: “This mission gave us the confirmation we needed that our baseline systems work in orbit.
“We’re already incorporating lessons from this flight into the next generation of our platform, and we’re excited for what comes next.”
As a home for space-enabled innovation, Space Park Leicester remains committed to supporting ventures like Frontier Space, from incubation to orbit and beyond.
To explore Space Park Leicester partnerships, missions, residents, facilities, training programmes and innovation products, visit www.space-park.co.uk or to learn more about the University of Leicester visit https://le.ac.uk/
Main image: Frontier team discussing the objectives and outcomes of the ATMOS mission internal experiments