First held in 1948, the Farnborough International Airshow has grown into one of the world's leading aerospace and defence exhibitions. Staged every two years, the 2026 event was the largest in its history, bringing together more than 100,000 visitors, over 1,400 exhibitors from 41 countries and 423 commercial, military and space delegations from around the world.
Throughout the week, the SSTL team welcomed customers, partners and prospective collaborators to our stand, discussing everything from Earth observation and climate monitoring to secure communications, lunar exploration and responsive space missions. The exhibition also provided an excellent opportunity to reconnect with long-standing customers, meet new organisations and explore future opportunities across both the commercial and institutional space sectors.
The conversations extended well beyond our own stand. Farnborough provides countless opportunities to engage across the wider aerospace and defence community, whether through networking events, customer meetings or industry panels. During the show, SSTL Managing Director Andrew Cawthorne joined a Defence News discussion panel in the US Pavilion, sharing his perspectives on the rapidly evolving space sector alongside fellow industry leaders.
The dedicated Space Zone once again highlighted the growing importance of space within the wider aerospace and defence landscape. As governments and industry continue to invest in sovereign capability, resilience and innovation, it provided a fitting backdrop for conversations about how smaller, faster and more affordable satellites are enabling missions that would have seemed out of reach only a generation ago.
For SSTL, Farnborough remains much more than an exhibition. It is a chance to strengthen relationships, exchange ideas and demonstrate how British space engineering continues to make an impact on the global stage.