Small-satellite builder Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. (SSTL) said Sept. 29 that it will open a 3,700-square-meter technical facility across from its Guildford, U.K., headquarters to expand its manufacturing capacity.

The $15 million facility is due for completion in April 2011, and it will include clean rooms, laboratories and testing facilities and house approximately 40 permanent staff and up to 100 additional staff during peak test and integration periods, Surrey said in a press release.

SSTL Chief Executive Officer Matt Perkins said the facility will be used for testing and integration of 14 navigation payloads it is building for Europe’s Galileo timing and navigation satellite system in partnership with OHB Technology of Germany.