Press Release: State aid: Commission approves £21 million aid to UK spacecraft manufacturer SSTL for development of low-cost radar satellite

On 4 December 2013 the European Commission found that UK plans to grant £21 million (around €24 million) support to Surrey Satellite Technology Limited for the research and development project NovaSAR are in line with EU State aid rules. The project aims to develop, launch and demonstrate a low-cost, medium-resolution, space-based Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite including service demonstration and applications development. The aid addresses a genuine market failure without giving rise to undue distortions of competition.