Guildford campus gets new spacecraft control centre

A satellite map at the Guildford control room shows the positions of the SSTL spacecraft

A new hub designed to control satellites and collect their data has opened at a Surrey research park ahead of the launch of four new spacecraft.

The spacecraft operation centre (SOC) opened by Surrey Satellite Technology (SSTL) replaces the old mission control at the company's Guildford campus.

SSTL has built and launched 43 satellites since 1981, and is currently controlling and monitoring 14.

Four more, to be run from the Guildford HQ, will be launched this summer.

The company, which designs, manufactures and operates satellites and ground systems, is currently assembling more than 20 spacecraft.

It operates satellites of its own, and for organisations including the Canadian government, BAE Systems and the UK Space Agency.

"The facilities are really are out of this world and I have no doubt they will be the nerve centre for many successful missions," said Surrey County Council deputy leader Peter Martin, who attended the official opening of the SOC on Thursday.

The new operation centre will also control four new satellites being launched later this summer

The new SOC communicates with the satellites via ground stations in Guildford and Bordon, Hampshire, and another in the Arctic Circle which will come into use in June.

James Northam, head of ground systems and mission services, said: "They are mostly Earth observation satellites taking images of the Earth which can be used for everything from mapping purposes to disaster relief.

"When there is a natural disaster we will be able to produce flood relief maps for aid agencies.

"Some of the data allows maps to be produced to show how crops are growing, so farmers can determine how much fertiliser to put on sections of their fields."

Satellites usually make six passes over the Guildford ground station in 24 hours.