Filtronic Secures UK Space Agency Funding to Build 550W Ka-Band SSPA
Filtronic has been awarded funding through the UK Space Agency’s National Space Innovation Programme (NSIP) to develop a next-generation 550W Ka-band solid-state power amplifier (SSPA), seen as a major step forward for high-power RF systems used in satellite communications.
The project will advance Filtronic’s proprietary GaN MMIC technology, waveguide power-combining methods and thermal management design, delivering what the company says will be a “step change in solid-state performance”.
The new SSPA will be fully compatible with existing TWTA enclosures, allowing operators to transition from travelling wave tube amps to solid-state systems without changing their ground infrastructure.
For satellite operators, this promises:
Lower operating costs
Improved reliability
Simpler maintenance
No performance trade-offs
This aligns closely with the growing industry push toward more sustainable, power-efficient ground and space systems.
At the core of the programme is a new Filtronic-designed GaN power amplifier MMIC, combined using a proprietary waveguide architecture engineered for high efficiency and manufacturability. The company says this approach will help enable higher bandwidth, higher power operation and improved system resilience across both commercial and defence satcom missions.