Airbus-built SpainSat NG-I satellite launched

For Spanish Armed Forces

The first of two advanced Airbus satellites, SpainSat NG-I, has been successfully launched aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, USA. The state-of-the-art satellite, designed to enhance secure communications for the Spanish Armed Forces, will enter service in the latter half of 2025, following its initial testing and commissioning phases.

Operated by Hisdesat, SpainSat NG-I is Europe’s most advanced secure communications satellite. It can operate across the UHF, Ka, and X bands. The satellite’s capabilities are designed to significantly boost Spain’s military communications infrastructure, offering enhanced security and performance. It will be positioned in geostationary orbit, providing critical services for the Spanish Armed Forces and European defence operations.

“This launch marks a major milestone in enhancing Spanish and European sovereignty in space,” said Alain Fauré, Head of Space Systems at Airbus Defence and Space.

“The cutting-edge secure communications technology, developed using our Eurostar Neo platform, is a key step in ensuring that Europe has the tools to maintain security in an increasingly complex global landscape. The innovative payload, which comprises more than 45% of the satellite, was developed through a collaborative effort of the Spanish space industry, led by Airbus.”

Airbus Defence and Space was the prime contractor for the project, overseeing the design, integration, and testing of SpainSat NG-I at its facilities in Toulouse. One of the satellite’s most remarkable features is its active X-band antenna system, which Airbus developed in Spain.

This system replaces the need for 16 traditional antennas, offering unparalleled flexibility and resilience. The software embedded within the antenna system allows for dynamic reconfiguration, enabling the satellite to adjust its coverage up to 1,000 times per second. This adaptability is crucial for detecting, geolocating, and mitigating interference with high precision.

Additionally, the satellite is radiation-hardened, protecting it against potential threats such as nuclear blasts. This level of robustness is vital for maintaining uninterrupted communications in the most extreme conditions.

SpainSat NG-I will offer a tenfold increase in communications capacity compared to the previous generation of satellites. This will significantly enhance data transmission speeds and expand coverage to two-thirds of the Earth’s surface, providing faster and more reliable communications across Europe, Africa, and beyond.

The twin satellite, SpainSat NG-II, is currently under construction and testing at Airbus Defence and Space facilities and is scheduled for completion by the end of 2025. Once both satellites are operational, they will work to provide enhanced security and reliability for critical communications, further strengthening Spain’s space capabilities and contributing to European defence.

The successful launch of SpainSat NG-I marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing development of Spain’s military space programme. It underscores Airbus’s leading role in delivering cutting-edge technology to meet the growing demands of secure communications in the modern era.

Image: The Airbus-built SpainSat NG-I satellite launches from a Falcon 9 rocket. Credit: SpaceX

Last Updated on 2 weeks by Arnold Pinto