SURREY SATELLITE TECHNOLOGY LIMITED
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Next accounts due
2026-09-30 (in 4mo)
Last filed for 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement due
2026-12-31 (in 7mo)
Last made up 2025-12-17
Watchouts
None on the register
Cash
£708K
Latest balance sheet
Net assets
-£26M
Equity attributable
Employees
363
Average over period
Profit before tax
-£8M
Period ending 2024-12-31
Name history
Renamed 1 time since incorporation
- SURREY SATELLITE TECHNOLOGY LIMITED 1985-06-11 → present
- FAIRSTOCK LIMITED 1985-05-23 → 1985-06-11
Net assets
2-year trend · vs Technology median
Accounts
2-year trend · latest reflected 2024-12-31
| Metric | Trend | 2023-12-31 | 2024-12-31 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover | £53,818,000 | £55,245,000 | |
| Operating profit | -£7,182,000 | -£5,473,000 | |
| Profit before tax | -£9,873,000 | -£8,344,000 | |
| Net profit | -£9,605,000 | -£8,511,000 | |
| Cash | £513,000 | £708,000 | |
| Total assets less current liabilities | — | — | |
| Net assets | -£15,933,000 | -£25,726,000 | |
| Equity | -£15,933,000 | -£25,726,000 | |
| Average employees | 368 | 363 | |
| Wages | £20,513,000 | £20,918,000 |
Values shown as filed in the company's annual accounts. — indicates the figure wasn't present under that line item in that period. About these numbers
Ratios
Computed from the line items above — sparklines read oldest → newest
| Ratio | Trend | 2023-12-31 | 2024-12-31 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating margin | -13.3% | -9.9% | |
| Net margin | -17.8% | -15.4% | |
| Current ratio | 0.41x | 0.30x | |
| Interest cover | -3.08x | -1.67x |
Margins divide P&L lines by turnover. Gearing is liabilities over total assets. Current ratio is current assets over creditors falling due within one year. Interest cover is operating profit over absolute finance costs. Sector-distribution context coming next.
Audit & accounting basis
- Accounting basis
- FRS 101
- Reporting scope
- Standalone (parent only)
- Auditor
- Ernst & Young LLP
- Audit opinion
- Unqualified (clean)
- Going concern
- Affirmed
“The Company's financial position showed a year-end negative equity position of £25.7m which included £46.5m due to its ultimate parent (Airbus SE) and other group companies. This balance included £46.4m in relation to an Airbus Group cash pooling facility which is provided to the Company with an authorised limit of €85m. Whilst this facility is substantial in value, the company's shareholder has provided assurances that the facility will not be withdrawn during the going concern period (reference the "Going Concern" note within the Director's Report).”
Significant events
- “In April 2024, the Company was selected by the UK Space Agency (UKSA) and the Australian Space Agency (ASA) to lead the AquaWatch space programme.”
- “In November 2024, the Company signed a contract with the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) for the supply of an additional Earth Observation Satellite. Juno will capture daytime images of the Earth's surface, strengthening the UK's Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities.”
- “On 16th August 2024, the Tyche satellite was successfully launched from California on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as part of a rideshare mission.”
- “In June 2024, the Managing Director, Mr P.Brownnett, unexpectedly and tragically, passed away.”
- “On 30th June 2025, the S1-4 spacecraft was impaired by £4.7m due to a contract change requested by a customer in January 2025 to move from a fixed data commitment to a variable data commitment.”
Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers
People
7 active · 49 resigned
| Name | Role | Appointed | Born | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SHAW, Alan | Secretary | 2021-06-01 | — | — |
| CAWTHORNE, Andrew David | Director | 2024-07-11 | Dec 1978 | British |
| ESCOTT, Katherine Edda | Director | 2024-04-19 | Jun 1979 | British |
| MOHR, Christoph | Director | 2023-07-25 | Feb 1978 | German |
| STECKLING, Marc, Dr | Director | 2023-10-20 | Jun 1968 | German |
| SWEETING, Martin Nicholas, Sir | Director | — | Mar 1951 | British |
| WILSON, Lee James | Director | 2018-03-01 | Mar 1981 | British |
Show 49 resigned officers
| Name | Role | Appointed | Resigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| CARPENTER, Venetia Caroline | Secretary | 2019-04-04 | 2021-05-31 |
| CROTCH, Nicholas John | Secretary | 1992-09-01 | 1994-10-26 |
| EAVIS, Donna Mary | Secretary | 1998-04-30 | 1999-01-26 |
| GILCHRIST, Delia | Secretary | 1994-10-26 | 1995-11-07 |
| INMAN, John James | Secretary | 1995-11-09 | 1998-04-21 |
| KNAPP, Anthony John | Secretary | — | 1992-09-01 |
| PEACE, Caroline | Secretary | 2017-06-30 | 2019-04-04 |
| PEACE, Caroline | Secretary | 2010-07-02 | 2015-07-31 |
| PERKINS, Helen Margaret | Secretary | 2007-09-07 | 2010-05-28 |
| SHAW, Alan | Secretary | 2015-08-14 | 2017-06-30 |
| SMITH, Frances Diana | Secretary | 1999-01-26 | 2007-09-07 |
| ALLERY, Mark Nicholas | Director | 1999-02-02 | 2005-07-21 |
| BROWNNETT, Philip John | Director | 2020-01-31 | 2024-06-06 |
| CARDOSO DO AMARAL GOMES, Luis Miguel | Director | 2016-11-25 | 2019-03-22 |
| CAREY, Joseph Vincent, Dr | Director | 1999-10-12 | 2000-06-30 |
| CHAMUSSY, Nicolas | Director | 2017-07-04 | 2019-08-31 |
| CLARKE, Geoffrey John | Director | 2008-12-31 | 2014-05-03 |
| DAY, Martin | Director | 2000-09-05 | 2005-11-08 |
| DOWLING, Patrick Joseph, Professor | Director | 1994-10-18 | 2005-04-29 |
| FORREST, John Richard, Dr | Director | 2006-10-09 | 2013-12-31 |
| FRANKLIN, Richard John | Director | 2020-12-02 | 2023-10-19 |
| FRENCH, Joseph Charles | Director | 2011-09-30 | 2015-11-27 |
| HOLT, John Antony | Director | 1994-05-09 | 2006-09-06 |
| KAIL, Leonard John | Director | — | 1992-07-02 |
| KELLY, Anthony, Professor | Director | — | 1994-09-28 |
| KELLY, Michael Joseph, Professor | Director | 1996-08-01 | 2002-08-31 |
| KNAPP, Anthony John | Director | 1992-09-01 | 2000-06-30 |
| LAINE, Robert | Director | 2008-12-31 | 2010-12-01 |
| LE STRADIC, Bruno | Director | 2008-12-31 | 2019-09-30 |
| LUNDBERG, Olof Ingemar | Director | 2006-04-07 | 2010-04-23 |
| MARRAKCHI, Abdel-Ilah | Director | 2015-02-13 | 2022-12-31 |
| MELLY, Gregory Kevin | Director | 2004-04-29 | 2008-12-31 |
| MILTON, Edwin Dean | Director | 1997-08-01 | 1999-02-02 |
| MUSK, Elon | Director | 2005-01-10 | 2008-12-31 |
| PARDOE, Geoffrey Keith Charles, Dr | Director | — | 1993-11-23 |
| PARKER, Sarah | Director | 2007-04-23 | 2020-01-31 |
| PARKER, Sarah | Director | 1999-02-02 | 2007-03-02 |
| PAYNTER, Colin | Director | 2010-12-01 | 2020-10-08 |
| PERKINS, Matthew, Dr | Director | 2007-01-22 | 2014-11-21 |
| PHAM, Philippe | Director | 2019-07-12 | 2023-10-20 |
| RAUDIERE, Gwenaelle De La | Director | 2014-05-03 | 2015-02-13 |
| SNOWDEN, Christopher Maxwell, Professor | Director | 2005-04-29 | 2006-03-22 |
| SUN, Wei, Dr | Director | 2001-04-11 | 2005-11-08 |
| WALKER, Alastair, Prof | Director | 1992-09-01 | 1996-03-14 |
| WARD, Jeffrey, Doctor | Director | 1994-08-01 | 2007-02-26 |
| WEISS, Bernard Lawson, Professor | Director | 2003-01-27 | 2005-04-29 |
| WILLETTS, David Lindsay, Lord | Director | 2015-09-01 | 2022-07-22 |
| WOOD, Andrew Patrick | Director | 2015-04-01 | 2017-03-24 |
| WOOD, Andrew Patrick | Director | 2008-12-31 | 2014-09-12 |
Ownership
Persons with significant control
| Name | Kind | Nature of control | Notified | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus Defence And Space Limited | Corporate entity | Shares 75–100%, Voting 75–100%, Appoints directors | 2018-06-18 | Active |
| Airbus Ds Holdings Bv | Corporate entity | Shares 75–100% | 2016-04-06 | Ceased 2018-06-18 |
Filing timeline
Last 20 of 297 total filings
| Date | Type | Category | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-12-30 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with updates | |
| 2025-12-29 | RP01AP01 | officers | Replacement filing of director appointment with name | |
| 2025-09-04 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2025-02-09 | PSC05 | persons-with-significant-control | Change to a person with significant control | |
| 2024-12-19 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2024-10-05 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2024-07-12 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2024-06-11 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2024-04-23 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2023-12-22 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2023-11-09 | MR04 | mortgage | Mortgage satisfy charge full | |
| 2023-11-02 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2023-10-23 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2023-10-23 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2023-10-10 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2023-08-07 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2023-01-07 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2023-01-03 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2022-12-23 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2022-07-25 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date |
Public-record activity
Raw counts from Companies House — last 12–24 months
- Filings
- 3
- Capital events
- 0
- Officers appointed
- 0
- Officers resigned
- 0
last 12 months
last 24 months
last 12 months
last 12 months
Direct counts from the register. No score, no rating — see the Filing timeline for the underlying events.
Year-on-year
FY2023 → FY2024 · period ending 2024-12-31 vs 2023-12-31