UoS wins award

[Richard@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Richard W L Limebear)]

Guys,

UoS have won an award thats *very* prestigious in UK industry. They were
one of only 14 recipients of the award (out of 200 submissions). Heres
their press release; followed by notes for editors.

73
Richard W L Limebear G3RWL
Communications Officer, Amsat-UK


PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT
21 APRIL 1998
Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom

QUEEN'S AWARD FOR SURREY SPACE CENTRE

The Queen's Award for Technological Achievement has been won by Surrey 
Satellite Technology (SSTL), based at the Surrey Space Centre in Guildford, 
in recognition of their national standing as a centre of excellence in the 
research, development and application of small satellites.

Proud of his team's achievements, Professor Martin Sweeting, Chief Executive 
Officer, Surrey Space Centre, said: "The Award demonstrates the high levels 
of achievement and national acclaim with which Surrey is held within the 
space industry. Internationally the Centre is renown as specialists in the 
engineering of small satellites with a worldwide customer-base."

The Centre previously won The Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher and 
Further Education in 1996.

Located in new purpose-built premises, the Surrey Space Centre, with 130 
staff and postgraduate research students, houses state-of-the-art satellite 
research and construction facilities. The facility's Mission Operations 
Centre contains a fully automated satellite tracking and data collection 
system, currently responsible for nine microsatellites in low-Earth orbit.

Training foreign engineers through its Technology Transfer Programme, the 
Centre will continue to build on its successes with Korea, Portugal, 
Pakistan, Chile, South Africa, Thailand, Singapore and  Malaysia. Through a 
unique combination of academic and commercial activity, Surrey provide 
intensive and in depth programmes at relatively low cost and risk, enabling 
emerging countries to take their first steps into space.

SSTL was formed in 1985 to make the cost-effective small satellite techniques 
developed by the University of Surrey's researchers available in the 
commercial marketplace. Independent from the University, SSTL retains close 
links with the advanced research and educational facilities on the campus, 
whilst providing within the Surrey Space Centre postgraduate MSc and PhD 
degree courses combined with practical satellite projects.

The company has already designed, built and launched 12 microsatellites - 
10 since 1990 - for commercial customers requiring communications services, 
remote sensing, technology verification and space science missions with 
civil and military applications. In 1997 the Centre achieved (UK pounds) 
6 million in sales.

Martin Sweeting went on to say: "Surrey's achievements are good for Britain 
and make a major contribution to the world's space industry. As an 
innovative research, development and training organisation, we are pushing 
forward the frontiers of small space."

-end-


Notes for Editors:

              Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL)
              ======================================

SSTL was formed in 1985 as a company wholly owned by the University of 
Surrey, England, within the Surrey Space Centre - whose objectives are 
to research and develop cost-effective small satellites alongside academic 
postgraduate training for rapid and affordable access to space. The results 
of academic research from the Centre are made available through SSTL to the 
commercial marketplace.

SSTL has designed, built and launched 12 microsatellites - 10 since 1990. 
The microsatellites are controlled and operated in orbit from SSTL's own 
Mission Control and Operations Groundstation at the Surrey Space Centre. 
During 1995, SSTL launched its latest and most advanced microsatellites: 
CERISE, a miliary research satellite for France, and FASat-Alfa for the 
Chilean Air Force.

In 1997 the Centre was the only non-US establishment to be awarded the 
contract for the NASA Rapid Spacecraft Acquisition Program. The contract 
allows Surrey to bid on the supply of satellite platforms for science and 
technology missions procured by all NASA centres and other US Government 
agencies.

Current projects include:

Two new microsatellites - for Chile (FASat) and Thailand (TMSat) - to be 
launched in June as secondary payloads alongside Resurs-1/4 on a Russian 
Zenit launch vehicle from Baikonur, Kazakstan.

PICOSat, for the USAF Space Test Program, currently under construction and 
scheduled for completion at the end of 1998.

Tiung-Sat-1, built through a Technology Transfer Programme with Malaysia, 
ready and awaiting launch - to be used for store and forward communication 
and multi-spectral imaging, in particular for monitoring the growing 
problem of smog in South East Asia.

The Clementine microsatellite platform, a follow-on to the successful CERISE 
mission, is currently undergoing test and payload integration at Alcatel 
(Toulouse) and is scheduled for launch in 1999.

UoSAT-12, an advanced new experimental 350kg minisatellite, being developed 
and scheduled for launch in early 1999. The first flight of the SSTL 
minisatellite will demonstrate the advanced capabilities of the platform 
and the flight carries payloads for imaging, communications, navigation 
and propulsion..

SSTL has considerable experience with highly-successful microsatellite 
technology transfer and training programmes - involving the Korean 
Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), the Portuguese INETI 
Consortium, Pakistan, the Chilean Air Force, South Africa (SUNSAT), 
Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia.

SSTL is housed within the Surrey Space Centre building dedicated to space 
activities, inaugurated by HM Queen Elizabeth II at the University of Surrey 
in 1992 and recently extended to twice its size. The Surrey Space Centre is 
a European centre of excellence in cost-effective space engineering 
providing affordable access to space. As well as SSTL, the Surrey Space 
Centre also houses satellite engineering post-graduate research groups. 
The satellite construction facilities at the Centre include a class-10,000 
clean room, a class-100,000 satellite assembly area and a two-storey 
class-100,000 satellite integration and test hall.

(eof)