General Atomics

Andrew Cawthorne appointed as Managing Director of SSTL

Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) has today announced that SSTL shareholder Airbus Defence & Space have appointed Andrew Cawthorne in his position as Managing Director, effective immediately.



Image courtesy SSTL

Andrew Cawthorne (above) steps into this role with extensive experience and a proven track record in driving business growth and operational excellence.

Sir Martin Sweeting, Chairman of SSTL, said: “On behalf of the entire team here at SSTL, I am pleased to congratulate Andrew on his well-deserved appointment as Managing Director. His exceptional leadership skills, strategic acumen, and deep understanding of our industry make him the ideal person to guide SSTL through its next phase of innovation and growth. We are confident Andrew will continue to strengthen SSTL’s position as a global leader in satellite technology.”

Andrew Cawthorne said: “I am deeply honoured to be appointed Managing Director of SSTL, a company renowned for its pioneering achievements in satellite technology and one that I have been proud to have been a part of for over 20 years.

"I am committed to working closely with our talented team to build on SSTL’s proud heritage, deliver outstanding results for our customers and drive forward innovation and sustainability in satellite missions and space exploration.”



Above: (left to right) Sir Martin Sweeting, SSTL Executive Chairman, Alain Faure, Head of Space Systems, Airbus, Andrew Cawthorne – SSTL Managing Director and Mikaël Butterbach – SVP HR Airbus Space Systems, at SSTL, Guildford, Surrey.
Courtesy SSTL


Andrew Cawthorne brings over two decades expertise in the space and technology sectors. Joining SSTL in 2004 Andrew initially worked as a Systems Engineer on the TopSat Imaging Project and as Technical Mission Lead for NigeriaSat-2. Andrew has since held several key commercial and leadership positions, most recently as Director of Business Development reporting into Managing Director, Phil Brownnett. When SSTL tragically lost Phil in June 2024 to a sudden illness, Andrew was appointed as Interim Managing Director.

Related

Captec appoints Stephen Fasham as Group CEO
Max Toti and Stephen Fasham.
Captec appoints Stephen Fasham as Group CEO
The appointment of Stephen Fasham as Group CEO follows Captec’s recent acquisition of a majority stake in German industrial PC and automation technology specialist Spectra.
Eaton upgrades HSIM fuel transfer pump to support A380 operators
Emirates A380 at LGW
Eaton upgrades HSIM fuel transfer pump to support A380 operators
Through the development of its High Slip Induction Motor (HSIM) fuel transfer pump Eaton is helping provide long-term support for operators of the Airbus A380.
Aerospace Member News

29 Oct 2026

TEK4 set for expansion following AIM listing
TEK4 lists on AIM LSEG
TEK4 set for expansion following AIM listing
With its shares up 45% following its market debut on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange, TEK4 is expanding its specialist engineering business, designing and manufacturing advanced drilling technology for aerospace and defence, with a second production facility.
UK and French paratroopers take part in largest airborne exercise in 15 years
Image: Pathfinders, the advance force of 16 Air Assault Brigade, perform a High Altitude Parachute (HAP) descent from 12,00ft on to the Sennelager training area. Over seven weeks (Sep-Oct 2026) of demanding training at Sennelager in Germany, Exercise RHINO TITAN has tested 16 Air Assault Brigade’s readiness to serve as the UK military’s global response force.
UK and French paratroopers take part in largest airborne exercise in 15 years
Around 600 UK and 100 French paratroopers have taken part in Exercise Rhino Titan in Germany, marking the launch of a new Joint Airborne Task Force.
Defence

30 Oct 2026

Captec appoints Stephen Fasham as Group CEO
Max Toti and Stephen Fasham.
Captec appoints Stephen Fasham as Group CEO
The appointment of Stephen Fasham as Group CEO follows Captec’s recent acquisition of a majority stake in German industrial PC and automation technology specialist Spectra.
TEK4 set for expansion following AIM listing
TEK4 lists on AIM LSEG
TEK4 set for expansion following AIM listing
With its shares up 45% following its market debut on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange, TEK4 is expanding its specialist engineering business, designing and manufacturing advanced drilling technology for aerospace and defence, with a second production facility.
UK awards Astroscale £15m contract to develop orbital defence capabilities
Astroscale Awarded £15 million MOD Contract as UK Government Strengthens Focus on Resilience in Space
UK awards Astroscale £15m contract to develop orbital defence capabilities
The contract follows the publication of the UK’s new Space Strategy, which identifies defence and national security as priorities and calls for greater protection of the country's space infrastructure.
Defence Space

29 Oct 2026

Airbus awarded contract for additional Galileo satellites
Airbus G2 satellites
Airbus awarded contract for additional Galileo satellites
The additional Galileo satellites will benefit from existing Airbus manufacturing capabilities and feature advanced anti-jamming and anti-spoofing to safeguard Galileo’s signals, extending Europe's independent satellite navigation services for European security and defence.
UK space start-up completes cancer drug experiment aboard ISS after £9.8m funding boost
UK start-up space mission aims to transform cancer therapies
UK space start-up completes cancer drug experiment aboard ISS after £9.8m funding boost
UK start-up BioOrbit has completed a six-week ISS experiment to produce protein crystals that could make some cancer treatments suitable for home injections.
Space Test

28 Oct 2026

Getac targets defence edge AI demand with new B360X rugged notebooks
Getac B360X Pro for military use.
Getac targets defence edge AI demand with new B360X rugged notebooks
From disaster zones and military exercises to remote industrial sites, Getac’s latest rugged notebooks put powerful AI computing directly into users’ hands, even when the cloud is out of reach.
UK, Poland agree to expand military production and boost NATO readiness
Image: Polish Ministry of National Defence (MND)
UK, Poland agree to expand military production and boost NATO readiness
The UK and Poland have agreed closer cooperation on missiles, drones and ammunition production under a new defence plan aimed at strengthening NATO's eastern flank.
Defence Security

29 Oct 2026

UK Budget 2026: British AI security boosted by new data centre plans and £700m package
Artificial Intelligence AI Processor Chip on Futuristic Circuit Board with Digital Data Network
UK Budget 2026: British AI security boosted by new data centre plans and £700m package
The UK government’s 2026 Budget combines priority electrical grid access for critical data centres with £700m in AI investment to strengthen cyber security and sovereignty.
Security

28 Oct 2026