UK satellite communications company, Filtronic has launched into the future by securing a Strategic Partnership with SpaceX for Starlink constellation.
Filtronic’s shares surged 50% to a decade-high on Wednesday after the British engineering group deepened its partnership with SpaceX’s Starlink platform.
The Leeds based company, which manufactures products for the aerospace, defence, space and telecom infrastructure markets, already supplies Starlink with E-band solid state power amplifiers (SSPA), which are used for low-earth orbit satellites.
The British company signed a Strategic Partnership and commercial agreement with SpaceX this week which includes the ongoing supply of Filtronic’s cutting-edge E-band Solid State Power Amplifiers (SSPA), alongside collaborative efforts in developing and delivering comparable products across multiple frequency bands core to SpaceX’s Starlink platform.
The agreement was signed with an initial order of $19.7m (£15.8m) to supply E-band SSPA modules, scheduled for delivery in FY2025, with further order flow expected to continue thereafter to support the ongoing deployment of SpaceX’s Starlink constellation, which provides high-speed, low-latency internet to users all around the world.
The company said it now expects fiscal 2025 results to surpass market expectations.
Its stock surged 50% to 49.1 pence, the highest in a decade, in morning trading. The company had a market value of about 71 million pounds (about $89 million) as of the close of trading on Tuesday. ($1 = 0.8042 pounds).
As part of the partnership, SpaceX has committed to ongoing orders for the next five years to ensure Filtronic remains a key part of its supply chain.
Richard Gibbs, Chief Executive Officer, of Filtronic, commented:
“We are delighted to enter into this important Strategic Agreement with SpaceX, a market leader in LEO satellite constellations. This ongoing SpaceX partnership underlines our core value proposition of high-performance mmWave and operational excellence. It also provides Filtronic with the opportunity to scale manufacturing, build capability and execute our technology roadmap.
“The team at Filtronic are excited to develop our existing relationship with SpaceX and secure the ongoing supply of E-band SSPAs. We also look forward to collaborating with the SpaceX engineering team to develop new products for use in the Starlink system.”
Mike Nicolls, SpaceX’s Vice President of Starlink Engineering commented:
“Filtronic has been an outstanding supplier for Starlink. They have matched our rate ramp and increasing demand for high-quality parts. Their strong engineering teams have taken ownership of their production process to meet our needs, taking their designs from wafer to functional unit, and are delivering quality parts in E-band which will enable the Starlink network to continue to grow and connect millions of more people around the world with high-speed, low-latency broadband internet.”
For more information about the company, visit the Filtronic website.
Photo credit: Filtronic
