Lift off for Filtronic

Filtronic, one of a growing number of Cambridge-based companies working in the Space, Aerospace, and Defence area, has announced a record order worth more than £50m to supply their RF technology to SpaceX for satellite communications. 

Although Cambridge and its famous Science Park are maybe more widely known for their Life Sciences and Biotech research, Filtronic's success shows that there are many companies in other sectors that are growing quickly in this research-intensive part of the city. Filtronic has expanded rapidly in recent years as its expertise in wireless communications is required for our ever-increasing communications networks and specialised applications required by new use cases. In this case, the growing number of in-orbit satellites and the need for regular and reliable communication with them has led to an increase in orders for Filtronic's market-leading power amplifiers, a key part of any transceiver, which are especially critical for environments where post-installation modifications to the technology are not feasible. 

Filtronic's Cerus power amplifier is key to providing sufficient power for transmission of signals through contested interfaces, and it is great news to see this work recognised by SpaceX.

Filtronic's success follows hot on the heels of Cambridge Aerospace's announcement of Series C funding in August, as their autonomous interceptors for neutralizing drones are in demand by militaries around the world. 

For decades, Cambridge has been at the forefront of addressing the scientific and technical challenges we face and developing solutions to overcome them. It is encouraging to see that this does not look like stopping any time soon.

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Filtronic has landed its biggest SpaceX order yet, worth $68.1m (£51.3m). The latest deal will see Filtronic supply its Cerus amplifier technology for SpaceX’s satellite communications. It follows a $62.5m order placed last year and gives the company a strong pipeline of work into 2028...