Filtronic awarded NSIP funding to develop 550W Ka-Band SSPA

Image courtesy Filtronic

The project will advance Filtronic’s proprietary gallium nitride (GaN) technology and integrated system design, setting new standards in efficiency, linearity and reliability for satellite communications.

Housed in an enclosure fully compatible with existing Travelling Wave Tube Amplifier (TWTA) systems, the new SSPA offers plug-and-play transition to adopting solid-state technology while maintaining current infrastructure.

This provides satellite operators with a cost-effective migration path that reduces operational expenditure and maintenance requirements, without compromising performance.

Filtronic’s development will deliver a proprietary GaN power amplifier Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) which will be integrated with a proprietary waveguide power combining technique employing advanced thermal management, and engineering to optimise performance while reducing manufacturing cost and complexity.

Such capabilities will complement our existing product portfolio and help ensure the company’s successful delivery of high-reliability RF systems for both commercial and defence space programmes. In turn, this supports the growing demand for higher bandwidth, higher power and improved system resilience in orbit and on the ground.

“This award reflects the strength of our innovation pipeline and our place in the UK’s space ecosystem,” said Tudor Williams, Chief Technology Officer at Filtronic. “The 550W Ka-Band SSPA is a significant step change in solid-state performance, offering leading linear power in a TWTA-compatible form factor.

“It will also enable operators to transition from travelling wave tube systems with reduced operating expense and enhanced reliability, helping to support more sustainable and future-ready satellite networks.”

UK Space Agency Investment Director, Dr Craig Brown said: “Filtronic’s project is a great example of the ambition behind the National Space Innovation Programme, turning cutting-edge UK research into commercially viable solutions that strengthen our global competitiveness. By advancing high-power solid-state amplifier technology, this project not only supports more resilient satellite networks but also accelerates the UK’s journey towards a sustainable and innovative space economy.”

Drawing on experience gained through strategic partnerships with major industry players, including SpaceX, Filtronic’s integrated design and manufacturing model continues to deliver cost-efficient, scalable solutions for both TWTA replacement programmes and emerging ground system applications.

It is this track record of innovation and delivery that led to the project being selected under NSIP’s ‘Major Projects’ category, a scheme designed to advance the commercialisation of high-impact UK technologies, de-risk investment and speed up the route to market.

Filtronic’s project contributes directly to the National Space Strategy’s vision to make the UK one of the world’s most innovative and competitive space economies. It does so by catalysing private investment, increasing Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) and strengthening the UK’s presence in global space markets.