Fri, 17 Jul 2026 Everyone has their own reason for joining SSTL. For Jonathan Rawlinson, it was the chance to do the kind of meaningful, hands-on engineering that first captured his imagination as a teenager.
 
His journey began at 14, when he earned his Amateur Radio licence and became fascinated by antennas, radio communications and radio astronomy. He spent much of his time holding an antenna and listening to the Morse-code telemetry beacons from amateur radio satellites, an experience that strengthened and shaped his growing interest. After leaving school, he joined DSTL as a junior RF engineer, gaining practical experience with RF systems before completing an MEng in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Imperial College London.
 
Today, Jonathan is a Senior GNSS Engineer at SSTL, working across GNSS-R algorithm development, advanced receiver design and GNSS system validation. His current focus is improving and calibrating the HydroGNSS payloads as the constellation prepares for future service.
 
Looking ahead, Jonathan hopes to continue developing as a leading GNSS expert across receiver design, embedded software, VHDL implementation and system validation, while helping SSTL push the boundaries of what GNSS technology can achieve. He is particularly excited by the future of HydroGNSS, from demonstrating the value of the early measurements through to enabling future exploitation opportunities and is keen to support & mentor the next generation of engineers entering the GNSS field.
 
Jonathan’s story is a reminder that great engineers are often driven by curiosity first. Sometimes a hobby becomes a passion and sometimes that passion leads all the way to space.