Winner: Surrey Satellite Technology
Location Guildford, UK
Achievement Pioneering of microsatellites to give more nations affordable access to space. Surrey Satellite Technology (SSTL) was formed in 1985 by Professor Martin Sweeting, a UK pioneer of affordable microsatellite technology at the University of Surrey.
His belief was that small, inexpensive satellites can be a serious alternative to the traditional high-cost programmes, especially for emerging space nations. The aim in setting up SSTL was to help transfer such technology out of the academic research laboratories and on to the commercial marketplace.
A decade later, SSTL and Sweeting have finally begun to see their pioneering work gain international acceptance. Over the past year SSTL has moved on to the world stage through a series of high-profile international projects.
Malaysian prime minister Dr Mohammed Mahathir signed up a £5.1 million technology and training contract for his country's first microsatellite during a visit to the UK in 1996. Design and construction also began on microsatellites for Chile and Thailand.
Sweeting, who has forged close links with Russia and China, went on to make a major impact in October at the space congress held in Beijing. He presented proposals ranging from an affordable global disaster-monitoring microsatellite network, through to a minisatellite mission to the Moon on a tiny budget of only £15 million.
Such affordable technology can equally be used to supplement existing large space programmes with capable, rapid-response satellites. In 1996, SSTL won its first US Department of Defense contract for the USAF's Picosat and was awarded the Clementine contract for the French defence ministry.
In December, Sweeting was also appointed director of the Surrey University's Centre for Satellite Engineering Research (CSER), to help develop a UK centre of excellence in satellite technology. SSTL and CSER together have a team of more than 100, arguably making the organisation Europe's largest specialist small satellite centre.
Source: Flight International
