Filtronic Secures £47m SpaceX Contract In Major Expansion Of Starlink Partnership

UK technology company Filtronic has announced its largest contract to date with SpaceX, worth £47.3 million, strengthening its role as a key supplier to the Starlink satellite programme. The London-listed defence and telecoms manufacturer, headquartered in Sedgefield, County Durham, saw its shares climb more than 13 per cent on the news.

The deal covers the supply of Filtronic’s next-generation gallium nitride E-band technology, a high-performance radio frequency (RF) platform designed to improve wireless communication capacity and efficiency. The company confirmed that deliveries will begin in the 2026-27 financial year, with shipments continuing into 2027-28, providing a clear boost to its medium-term revenue pipeline.

Chief executive Nat Edington described the contract as a landmark for the business. He said: “We are extremely proud to announce this landmark contract, which not only sets a new commercial record for Filtronic, but also reflects the success of our partnership with world-leading satellite company SpaceX, supporting the Starlink constellation.”

Filtronic has been steadily building its relationship with SpaceX since signing a strategic partnership in April 2024. Earlier this year, it secured a £16.8 million order from the US aerospace company, establishing itself as a preferred supplier of RF solutions for low earth orbit (LEO) satellite systems.

Starlink welcomed the latest deal as a step forward in its global network expansion. Mike Nicholls, vice president of engineering at Starlink, said: “This next-generation technology will provide further benefits to our system and our customers’ experience, and we’re excited to enter this next phase with Filtronic.”

Founded in 1977, Filtronic designs and manufactures what it describes as mission-critical communications technology for aerospace, defence, telecoms infrastructure and space applications. The business operates two manufacturing sites in County Durham and the United States, alongside three UK engineering centres.

For project managers, the contract highlights both the increasing demand for resilient, high-capacity communications systems and the opportunity for UK-based firms to integrate into global space-sector supply chains. The delivery timeline across multiple financial years will require coordinated capacity planning, while the scale of the order underlines the importance of long-term partnerships in securing growth in advanced technology markets.