PHYSICIST Dr Bill Williams describes himself and his staff as the 'back room boys'.

But the products designed by his small Marlow Bottom company are at the leading edge of space research technology.

"We work very much in a niche market, offering technical solutions. Everything we have built is a one-off and the first of its type," said Dr Williams, who founded TS Space Systems 15 years ago.

Today, the research company, on the Rose Business Estate, has a staff of six and specialises in the design, development and manufacture of research equipment for the space industry.

Specific areas of focus include solar simulation, space simulation chambers and ion thruster test facilities.

For instance, TS Space Systems can design and build vacuum chambers, some up to four metres in diameter and 15m long (the steelwork is contracted out). These simulate the orbiting in space conditions of satellite components such as antennae or the effect of solar arrays (panels).

The equipment in the chambers, mostly computer-controlled, will allow organisations such as the British National Space Centre at Farnborough or its clients, to test equipment to control temperatures of down to minus 200 degrees centigrade and up to plus 200 degrees centigrade.

"The main space effort has turned to civilian use of satellites, such as environmental, meteorological and communications. It starts off with a problem and we look at how we can solve it," said Dr Williams.

He is presently working with his team on a prototype to reprocess fuel used by ion thruster engines. These satellite engines are powered by Xenon gas, which is very expensive.

"We hope to be able to run tests to extract the gas out of the exhausts," said Dr Williams.

Some of the work carried out by TS Space Systems has a non-space application, such as a simulator to test the effects of skin care products. The company also does work for, and in conjunction with, DERA, the UK Defence Evaluation and Research Agency.

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