Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) has moved its technical operations into The Kepler Building, a new #10 million state-of-the-art technical facility, providing assembly, testing and integration of satellites platforms and payloads for SSTL’s global customers in a single location.

Co-located with SSTL’s headquarters in Guildford, the new facility provides significant new capacity that will increase throughput for multi-satellite contracts.

SSTL CEO Dr. Matt Perkins commented: “SSTL has delivered growth during the recession, contributing to the UK space industry’s export success through continued technological innovation. We are actively recruiting with more than twenty current vacancies and The Kepler Building will provide our engineers with the facilities they need to build more satellites and achieve our growth plans for the next 20 years.”

The 3,700sqm (40,000 sqft) facility’s cleanrooms, laboratories and testing facilities will be utilised from this week replacing existing facilities on the University of Surrey campus. Satellites currently being assembled and tested in the new world-class test halls include TechDemoSat-1 and the Kazakhstan medium resolution satellite for Astrium. Six SSTL satellite missions are scheduled for launch this year: NigeriaSat-2 and NigeriaSat-X for NASRDA, KANOPUS 1 and 2 spacecraft for VNIIEM, ADS-1B for COM DEV, and SAPPHIRE for MacDonald Dettwiler Associates. The new capacity also plays an important role in SSTL’s contract to supply the first 14 Galileo Full Operational Constellation payloads in partnership with OHB Technology, which will be assembled in the secure facility.

The Kepler Building will house approximately 40 permanent staff and anything up to 100 further project specific staff from across the company at peak test and integration periods. An integral part of the new facility are the world-class test halls that provide two 125 cubic metre walk-in thermal chambers, a seismic test platform, 15,000kg & 3,200kg monorail cranes, 10,000kg & 8,000kg gantry cranes, and reinforced floors, providing the greatest possible flexibility for integration and testing of both small and larger spacecraft.

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 over 350 staff working on turnkey satellite platforms, space-proven satellite subsystems and optical instruments.

Since 1981 SSTL has built and launched 34 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.

Based in Guildford, UK, SSTL is owned by EADS Astrium NV.
www.sstl.co.uk

Notes to editor:

This document has been produced under funding of the European Union. The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Union and/or ESA. The OHB/SSTL project is funded by, and part of, the Galileo programme which is an initiative by the European Union (EU), and where the European Space Agency (ESA) acts in the name of, and on behalf of, the EU. “Galileo” is a trademark subject to OHIM application number 002742237 by EU and ESA.

SSTL Contact:
Joelle Sykes, Surrey Satellite Technology Limited
Tel: +44 (0)1483 804243 Email: j.sykes@sstl.co.uk

Press Contact:
Robin Wolstenholme, bcm public relations
Tel: +44 (0)1306 882288 Email: r.wolstenholme@bcmpublicrelations.com