NASHUA, N.H., 4 April 2006. BAE Systems has announced its new partnership wioth Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. (SSTL), the goal of which is to bring the firm's small-satellite technology and processes to the U.S. market. Under a memorandum of agreement, BAE Systems' Space Systems and Electronics unit and SSTL will offer customers--especially NASA and the Department of Defense--a range of small-satellite capabilities.

Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. designs, manufactures, and operates low-cost small satellites. The satellites are able tobe developed rapidly to meet civil and military Earth observation, communications, navigation, and space science applications.

BAE Systems develops and produces an array of space electronics and integrated solutions, from single-board, radiation-hardened computers to complete instrument payloads.

"Together, we will provide U.S. government customers with an end-to-end solution--from concept of operations to on-orbit mission operations to information management," says Leigh Coolidge, director of the BAE Systems Small Satellite Initiative.

"Constellations of small satellites will become financially possible due to the lower unit cost, bringing real benefits of higher temporal resolution and persistent monitoring--a new area of space applications," says Phil Davies, SSTL senior account manager.