Surrey Satellite Opens Advanced Imaging R&D Cleanroom

Surrey Satellite Opens Advanced Imaging R&D Cleanroom
by Sophie Jenkins
London, UK (SPX) Jan 22, 2025

Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) has officially opened its advanced Research and Development Imaging Cleanroom at its Guildford headquarters. This new facility is designed to strengthen the company's expertise in optical imaging-a key technology for its Earth observation satellite missions.

The cleanroom, now fully operational, houses SSTL's Optical Payloads Team and was developed with a Pounds 250,000 grant from the UK Space Agency (UKSA) awarded in March 2024 under the Space Clusters Infrastructure Fund (SCIF). SSTL matched this funding with internal resources, reflecting the UK Government's commitment to enhancing the nation's space capabilities and promoting innovation in satellite technologies.

"We are immensely grateful to the UK Space Agency for their support through the Space Clusters Infrastructure Fund," said Andrew Cawthorne, Managing Director of SSTL. "Their investment has enabled us to create a fantastic, state-of-the-art cleanroom facility, which is now enabling our Payload Imaging Team to continue their vital work in designing and assembling the world-class optical imagers that power SSTL's Earth observation missions. This marks another milestone in our mission to deliver innovative, high-performance satellite technology to our customers around the globe."

The cleanroom is engineered to meet stringent environmental standards required for the development and testing of sophisticated optical imagers. These imaging systems are essential to SSTL's Earth observation satellites, providing precise and reliable data for applications such as environmental monitoring, disaster management, and urban planning.

Dr. Paul Bate, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, added: "The opening of this state-of-the-art Optical Cleanroom at Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd is a testament to the UK's strengths in Earth observation. This facility will play a crucial role in delivering high-performance optical imagers that support a wide range of advanced missions and applications, from monitoring floods and wildfires to delivering intelligence and reconnaissance services. Made possible through our Space Clusters Infrastructure Fund, we are building our national capabilities and developing new satellite technologies that deliver the benefits of space back to Earth."

This investment reinforces SSTL's leadership within the UK space sector and its commitment to developing world-class satellite solutions. SSTL looks forward to further collaboration with UKSA and its partners as it continues to push the boundaries of satellite technology.