On behalf of Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd, Dr Matt Perkins, CEO has issued the following statement.

I am deeply shocked and saddened to confirm that one of SSTL’s long-term contractors, Saad Al-Hilli, has been formally identified as one of the victims of the shootings which occurred in the French Alps.

Saad worked at SSTL as a Mechanical Design Engineer from November 2010. Saad’s colleagues will remember him as an experienced and committed engineer who worked as part of a tightly knit team. He was a personal friend to many of our staff here.

Saad will be greatly missed and our thoughts are with his family and loved ones at this very difficult and traumatic time. We are a close family at SSTL and our staff are understandably very upset by this event. I ask the media to respect their privacy as they come to terms with this terrible news.

There will be no further statement.

About SSTL

Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) is the world’s leading small satellite company, delivering operational space missions for a range of applications including Earth observation, science and communications. The Company designs, manufactures and operates high performance satellites and ground systems for a fraction of the price normally associated with space missions, with 500 staff working on turnkey satellite platforms, space-proven satellite subsystems and optical instruments.

Since 1981 SSTL has built and launched 39 satellites – as well as providing training and development programmes, consultancy services, and mission studies for ESA, NASA, international governments and commercial customers, with its innovative approach that is changing the economics of space.

In 2008 the Company set up a US subsidiary, Surrey Satellite Technology US LLC (SST-US), with facilities in Denver, Colorado to address the United States market and its customers for the provision of small satellite solutions, applications and services. www.sst-us.com

Headquartered in Guildford, UK, SSTL is owned by Astrium, an EADS company.
www.sstl.co.uk

Twitter: @SurreySat

SSTL press contact:
Joelle Sykes, PR Manager
Tel: +44 (0)1483 804243 Email: j.sykes@sstl.co.uk