[SatNews] Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL), in partnership with the University of Surrey’s Surrey Research Park, is taking a new technical facility opposite its headquarters building in Guildford, UK, providing the flexibility to work on a broader range of satellites and the capacity to integrate and test more satellites in parallel.

The 3,700 sqm (40,000 sqft) 10 million pounds facility will provide cleanrooms, laboratories and testing facilities for state-of-the-art space engineering. It 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. Due for completion in April 2011, the new facility will be operating at full capacity as soon as it is opened when its secure cleanroom facilities will be used for the testing and integration of 14 navigation payloads for the deployment phase of Europe’s future GNSS system. The new laboratories & cleanrooms will bring the assembly, testing and integration of satellite platforms for SSTL’s global customers into a single location, enabling engineers and project managers to participate in day-to-day decision making and mission reviews without leaving the site. The world-class test halls provide two 125m walk-in thermal chambers, a seismic test platform with 16,000kg, 10,000kg & 8,000kg gantry cranes and reinforced floors, providing the greatest possible flexibility for integration and testing of small and larger spacecraft. Visit SSTL on stand A5 at IAC 2010