Wed, 08 Jan 2025 Out of the 350 talented employees at SSTL today, only two have been with us since our inception in 1985. One of them is none other than our Chairman and Founder, Prof. Sir Martin Sweeting. The image on the right shows Martin on stage last year in Las Vegas, delivering the prestigious AIAA David Thompson Lecture—a fitting acknowledgment of his pioneering contributions to the space industry.

The left-hand image takes us back to the early days: around 1985, on the roof of the University of Surrey. Here, Martin confirms that as SSTL’s first Technical Director he was “listening here to the UoSAT-2 ‘DIGITALKER’ on a handheld VHF transceiver, beneath SSTL’s very first tracking antenna, mounted on an old anti-aircraft gun base.”

Four decades on, from the University roof to global innovation leaders, Martin’s journey mirrors SSTL's growth and ambition. Here's to celebrating our past while shaping the future of Small Satellite space technology!