Wed, 05 Nov 2025 Today’s post features one of our long-standing colleagues, Andy Waites, who is currently our PA/QA Lead in the Quality Assurance Team. Andy has seen - and helped shape - so much of our journey here at Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd, from our early days in the cramped cleanroom on campus to the impressive facilities we have today. Here’s Andy’s story in his own words:

“I was born in Hounslow, Middlesex, but we moved to Bracknell when I was five due to my dad’s job. I went to Bracknell College of Technology to do an HNC/HND in Electromechanical Engineering, and when SSTL was formed in 1985, I had just finished my apprenticeship and was working for Sperry Gyroscope.

After four years at Sperry I joined British Aerospace to work on Sea Eagle missile guidance systems and Polaris missiles. Then I had a good 12 year stretch at Honeywell Avionic in Basingstoke working on Boeing aircraft cockpit instrumentation, specialising in TCAS traffic collision avoidance systems. That included time working in Toulouse, France, and a short spell in Seattle, US.

I joined SSTL in 2001 when we were still based on the University site. My first role was helping set up the newly acquired solar panel manufacturing facility and cleanroom, and I then led the small solar panel manufacturing team. I also worked in Flight Assembly and, after properly learning the ropes, became Team Leader running the Flight Assembly cleanroom until 2013 before moving to the Quality Assurance department, where I’ve been ever since.

Alsat-1 was the first mission I worked on, and there have been too many since to remember! Galileo was challenging and fun - it gave me the chance to travel to European suppliers for Mandatory Inspection Points (MIPs), which meant seeing how other companies in the space industry work.

Space is exciting. When people ask what you do, they’re always impressed when you say you work in space. There are a lot more space companies around now, a lot more competition. In 2001, we’d build one satellite every 18 months to two years - now we build multiple craft in less time. I think there were about 90 people when I joined, and we’ve grown with demand. We’re no longer in that cramped small cleanroom at the Uni, where the satellite size was dictated by the size of the lift in AIT! Now we have impressive large facilities to support our needs.

Over the years at SSTL, we’ve always had very clever people - that hasn’t changed. People like working here, and everyone likes working on space stuff. Why wouldn’t you!”

A huge thank you to Andy for his 24 years (and counting!) of dedication, craftsmanship, quality leadership and good humour.