HRH The Duke of York visits COM DEV Europe.

The Managing Director of the company, Rob Spurrett, said "I was very surprised and pleased when The Duke of York chose to come and visit us. It is a great tribute to the staff of the company that their endeavours in this challenging high-technology field have been recognised. Twenty-five years of successful exports does not happen by accident." Last year, more than 80 percent of COM DEV's revenue was for the export market.

His Royal Highness is keen to celebrate the UK's long standing and proud involvement in Science and Engineering and believes that the U.K. is the best place in the world for Science and Engineering. COM DEV has been designing, manufacturing and testing equipment and components for satellites in Buckinghamshire for over twenty-five years. The space industry is one of the hidden technology export successes of the U.K. and employs over 80,000 people in the country and is estimated to contribute over GBP8bn to the U.K.'s GDP. Most people know of the occasional NASA mission that makes the news headlines but few people realise that around 100 spacecraft are launched each year and they provide vital commercial services that industry and the general public rely upon. The weather forecast before they head to work; the GPS navigation to find their way; the timing coordination of their cash withdrawals; the telecommunications systems they use during the day and satellite broadcast television in the evening are all examples of how space has permeated our every day lives.

The Duke of York came to see the facility and to hear about COM DEV's export successes. Over the last three years, the number of employees has doubled and COM DEV has supplied equipment to space projects all over the world. His Royal Highness was introduced to several of COM DEV's designers who are working on projects such as next generation communications spacecraft, the European navigation system, Galileo, and instruments that will be used to monitor the earth's resources from space. As part of The Duke of York's interest in young people, His Royal Highness met some of COM DEV's graduate trainees who have been going through COM DEV's training programme. They get the opportunity to experience different aspects of the space industry from fundamental design work on equipment that had to survive operation for up to 18 years in the vacuum of space, through to the planning of manufacturing work where equipment has to be proven to be as reliable as possible as there is no possibility of repairing equipment once launched.

Operations Director Craig Molford showed His Royal Highness the manufacturing and test facilities, including the Vibration Test Facility that was testing one piece of electronics equipment destined for a U.S. mission. The item being tested was being subject to severe vibration intended to simulate the conditions of launch on a rocket.