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

Beyond the hype: Where do air taxis really fit in urban transport?
Beyond the hype: Where do air taxis really fit in urban transport?
Coventry University's Dr Saafa Sindi addresses whether air taxi services are a near term reality or just science fiction.
Aerospace Insights

31 Jul 2026

Robotic parking launched at Gatwick
Robotic parking at Gatwick
Robotic parking launched at Gatwick
Gatwick is the first UK airport to offer robotic parking, with passengers able to use the service beginning this August.
Aerospace

31 Jul 2026

Rolls-Royce posts soaring half-year profit amid defence and data centre boom
Dassault Global 6500 with Rolls-Royce Pearl engine
Rolls-Royce posts soaring half-year profit amid defence and data centre boom
How Rolls-Royce's half-year 2026 financial performance builds on last year and underscores its proving prospects across its Civil Aerospace, Defence, and Power Systems divisions.
Aerospace Defence

31 Jul 2026

UK commits £8.4bn to launch next production phase of Dreadnought submarine programme
Royal Navy Dreadnought submarine
UK commits £8.4bn to launch next production phase of Dreadnought submarine programme
The UK has committed £8.4 billion to the next production phase of the Dreadnought-class submarine, its long-term nuclear deterrent.
Defence

31 Jul 2026

QinetiQ equips young people with cyber skills
CyberFirst Advanced at Lancaster University
QinetiQ equips young people with cyber skills
Hundreds of youngsters have been given the opportunity to equip themselves with real-world cyber skills.
Can you spot the sniper? UK MoD launches summer safety campaign for military training areas
MOD Spot the Sniper
Can you spot the sniper? UK MoD launches summer safety campaign for military training areas
The MOD's new Spot the Sniper campaign challenges the public to find concealed soldiers, raising awareness of dangers in military training areas.
Defence

31 Jul 2026

AccelerComm underpins Eclipse Space’s 5G physical layer for satellite constellations
UK From Space-Telecom
AccelerComm underpins Eclipse Space’s 5G physical layer for satellite constellations
Flight-proven 5G non-terrestrial network (NTN) tech from Southampton based AccelerComm, is supporting a scalable direct-to-device and broadband architecture from Starlink veterans behind Eclipse Space.
Member News Space

31 Jul 2026

ALL.SPACE releases Hydra MAX wideband platform for multi-orbit ops
Hydra on Defender
ALL.SPACE releases Hydra MAX wideband platform for multi-orbit ops
ALL.SPACE has released Hydra MAX, designed to unlock next-generation wideband Ka networks with multi-orbit connectivity.
Defence Space

28 Jul 2026

Wiltshire schoolchildren take second place in international rocketry final
Abbeyfield School 2nd Place
Wiltshire schoolchildren take second place in international rocketry final
Schoolchildren from Chippenham achieved second place at the International Youth Rocketry Challenge during the Farnborough International Airshow.
Aerospace Defence Events Security ...

27 Jul 2026

QinetiQ equips young people with cyber skills
CyberFirst Advanced at Lancaster University
QinetiQ equips young people with cyber skills
Hundreds of youngsters have been given the opportunity to equip themselves with real-world cyber skills.
Why drones have become a mainstream security challenge for airports across the UK
Ministry of defence drone
Why drones have become a mainstream security challenge for airports across the UK
Latest Dedrone report reveals why drone incidents are a mainstream security challenge for airports across the UK
Aerospace Security

29 Jul 2026

UK and partners warn of zero-click phishing campaign targeting Western organisations
NCSC warns of Laundry Bear phishing
UK and partners warn of zero-click phishing campaign targeting Western organisations
The UK and partners have exposed a new ‘zero-click’ phishing campaign, warning that Russian state-supported actors are using it to target Western organisations.
Security

28 Jul 2026