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Surrey Satellite Technology

From Alfawiki
Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd
Company typePrivate
IndustryAerospace, Satellite manufacturing
PredecessorUniversity of Surrey satellite research
Founded1985; 41 years ago (1985)
FounderUniversity of Surrey (spin-off)
Headquarters
Guildford
,
United Kingdom
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Sarah Parker (Managing Director)
ProductsSmall satellites, satellite payloads, satellite platforms
OwnerAirbus Defence and Space
ParentAirbus Defence and Space
Websitewww.sstl.co.uk

Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) is a UK-based enterprise focused on designing and operating small-scale satellites. Originally created as a spin-off from the University of Surrey, it is currently fully owned by Airbus Defence and Space.

Established in 1985, SSTL originated from university research centered on amateur radio satellites, especially the UoSAT (University of Surrey Satellite) series and satellites bearing OSCAR designations. The firm was a pioneer in applying commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) parts for space applications, as evidenced by its UoSat-1 experimental satellite. SSTL maintains ongoing partnerships with the university's Surrey Space Centre to advance satellite and space science initiatives.

In April 2008, the University of Surrey divested its controlling interest to the European aerospace giant EADS Astrium. Later that year, SSTL launched a US branch with offices and manufacturing capabilities in Denver, Colorado, though production there ended in 2017.

SSTL has been honored with several awards, including the Queen's Award for Technological Achievement (1998), Queen's Awards for Enterprise (2005), and the Times Higher Education innovation accolade (2006). It was also ranked 89th in the Sunday Times Top 100 Companies to Work For in 2009.

In 2020, SSTL revealed plans for Lunar Pathfinder, a telecommunications satellite aimed at supporting lunar exploration missions. This satellite is slated for launch in 2025 to enable communication between Earth and the Moon.

Origins and formative period

During the Cold War’s early decades, access to space was confined to a handful of superpowers; by the 1970s, only affluent nations could sustain costly space programs due to their complexity. Initial satellites were expensive with limited capabilities and lacked the ability to be reprogrammed once deployed. In the late 1970s, Martin Sweeting and colleagues at the University of Surrey explored using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components for satellite assembly, seeking to transform conventional satellite manufacturing.

Their inaugural satellite, UoSAT-1, was constructed in a modest university laboratory using custom-designed printed circuit boards. Launched in 1981 with NASA’s assistance, it became the first contemporary small satellite capable of reprogramming and surpassed its expected three-year operational period by over five years. This achievement validated that compact, affordable satellites could undertake complex missions, encouraging commercialization efforts.

Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) was formed in Guildford, UK in 1985 as a university spin-off. Since then, it has grown consistently, partnering globally to deploy more than 70 satellites over thirty years.

Expansion and organizational changes

In 2002, SSTL expanded into remote sensing through the Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC) and its subsidiary DMC International Imaging. These satellites incorporated sophisticated payloads such as onboard image compression systems, GPS reflectometry experiments, and embedded Internet routers. Significantly, DMC satellites utilized Internet Protocol for data communication and control, extending Internet technology into space and enabling experiments in interplanetary networking. Many DMC innovations had been trialed earlier on SSTL’s UoSAT-12 satellite.

In June 2004, SpaceX acquired a 10% share in SSTL from the University of Surrey; Elon Musk recognized SSTL as a leader in small satellite technology with aligned corporate values. The University subsequently conferred an honorary doctorate on Musk. By April 2008, the University sold approximately 80% of its stake to European conglomerate EADS Astrium. Despite full ownership by Airbus (the parent company of EADS Astrium), SSTL continues to operate independently.

In 2005, SSTL completed GIOVE-A1, Europe’s initial test satellite for the Galileo navigation system. Between 2010 and 2016, SSTL delivered 22 navigation payloads for Galileo and secured contracts for an additional 12 units in 2017—an important achievement amid Brexit-related uncertainties.

Throughout the 2010s, SSTL advanced satellite capabilities by developing synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) technology alongside smaller and lighter satellites. Luis Gomes, head of Earth observation at SSTL, highlighted that microsatellites offer cost reductions in design, assembly, and launch but present higher failure risks compared to larger platforms. These attributes have been marketed successfully to clients such as DMC.

In 2008, Surrey launched a US subsidiary based in Colorado to tap into the expanding small satellite market. However, by June 2017 SSTL announced closure of its Colorado operations to consolidate production back in the UK due to increased competition and strategic outsourcing choices. Managing Director Sarah Parker attributed this restructuring to evolving market conditions.

Satellites

  • Eutelsat Quantum: SSTL's inaugural geostationary satellite platform equipped with a central thrust tube utilizing bipropellant chemical propulsion, GEO momentum wheels, and gyroscopes. Its design allows software-based reconfiguration to modify its operational roles and capabilities. Delivered to Airbus Toulouse in January 2019 for integration and testing.
  • COSMIC-2/FORMOSAT-7: Created for Taiwan's National Space Organization alongside NOAA (USA), this mission continues the legacy of COSMIC/FORMOSAT-3 by focusing on atmospheric limb sounding and ionospheric studies.
  • VESTA-1: A technology demonstration satellite developed for Honeywell, launched in December 2018, which tested a two-way VHF Data Exchange System (VDES) payload intended for the exactEarth maritime network.
  • NovaSAR-1: Partially funded by the UK Government, this satellite carries an S-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar payload from Airbus Defence & Space to detect suspicious maritime activities. It was launched by ISRO on 16 September 2018.
  • RemoveDEBRIS: Launched to the International Space Station in April 2018 and deployed in June of the same year, this mission demonstrated active debris removal technologies, evaluating cost-effective capture and deorbit strategies for space debris in low Earth orbit.
  • Telesat LEO prototype: Developed as a test satellite for Telesat’s planned global low Earth orbit constellation, it was launched in January 2018 as part of the technology validation phase.
  • CARBONITE-2: An SSTL-owned Earth observation technology demonstrator launched in January 2018, notable for successfully showcasing video capture capabilities from orbit.
  • TripleSat: A trio of Earth observation satellites forming a constellation that delivers 1-meter resolution imagery, with data rights leased to the Chinese firm 21AT.
  • Five RapidEye satellites were delivered to MacDonald Dettwiler & Associates (MDA) for the RapidEye Constellation; these were launched from Baikonur on 29 August 2008.
  • UK-DMC 2 and Deimos-1: Both satellites were launched aboard a Dnepr rocket from Baikonur on 29 July 2009.
  • NigeriaSat-2 along with NX satellites: Successfully placed into orbit on 17 August 2011.
  • exactView-1: Launched on 22 July 2012 using a Soyuz rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome.
  • SAPPHIRE: The Canadian Department of National Defence’s first dedicated military satellite providing space situational awareness by tracking objects orbiting between approximately 6,000 and 40,000 kilometers. It supports the U.S. Space Surveillance Network through updates to the satellite catalog utilized by NORAD and Canadian defense agencies.
  • STRaND-1 (Surrey Training, Research and Nanosatellite Development): This nanosatellite launched in 2013 demonstrated novel space technologies including operating an Android OS smartphone platform in orbit.

See also

Navigation Payloads for Europe's Galileo Constellation

Between 2010 and 2020, SSTL produced and supplied a total of 34 navigation payloads during Galileo's deployment phase. OHB System AG acted as the prime contractor and spacecraft platform provider, while SSTL was fully responsible for delivering the navigation payloads that constitute the essential technology driving Galileo’s satellite navigation system.

External links

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