Sedgefield’s Filtronic secures £15.8 million SpaceX deal

A County Durham technology firm has secured a £15.8 million deal with Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

Sedgefield-based Filtronic will supply the rocket and spacecraft maker with power amplifiers and similar products.

The equipment will be used on SpaceX’s Starlink constellation, which uses low Earth orbit satellites to deliver high-speed internet connections globally.

Bosses say a first raft of parts will be delivered in 2025, with “further order flow expected to continue thereafter”.

Richard Gibbs, Filtronic chief executive, said: “This milestone development underlines our core value proposition of high-quality engineering and operational excellence.

“It also provides us with the opportunity to scale manufacturing, build capability and execute our technology roadmap.

“We look forward to working alongside the SpaceX engineering team to develop new products for the Starlink system.”

Mike Nicolls, SpaceX vice president of Starlink Engineering, added: “Filtronic is delivering quality parts, which will enable the Starlink network to continue to grow and connect millions more people around the world.”

Meanwhile, Filtronic, which operates from a base on Sedgefield’s NETPark, has bolstered manufacturing operations with a £150,000 Business Durham grant.

The company has bought plastic encapsulation equipment it says delivers fully-moulded packaging for components.

Sarah Slaven, Business Durham managing director, said: “This positions Filtronic to secure new opportunities in aerospace, space and defence, fostering job creation and reinforcing the region’s innovation hub.”