Airbus-built SpainSat NG-I satellite Successfully Launched
January 31, 2025 | AirbusEstimated reading time: 1 minute
The first of the two Airbus-built new generation SpainSat satellites, SpainSat NG-I, has been successfully launched on a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, in the U.S. Operated by Hisdesat for the Spanish Armed Forces, Europe’s most advanced secure communications satellite operating in UHF, Ka and X band, will enter into service in geostationary orbit from the second half of 2025, following initial testing and commissioning.
“The launch of SpainSat NG-I with cutting-edge secure communications technology enabled by our industry-leading Eurostar Neo platform is a major step for Spanish and European sovereignty. Its innovative payload, which represents more than 45% of the satellite, has been developed thanks to a joint effort of the Spanish space industry, led by Airbus,” said Alain Fauré, Head of Space Systems at Airbus Defence and Space.
Airbus Defence and Space, as prime contractor, designed, integrated and tested the satellite at the Airbus facilities in Toulouse. Airbus in Spain also developed the innovative X-band transmit and receive active antenna system, providing the functionality equivalent to 16 traditional antennas. These active antennas provide the satellite with exceptional flexibility and resilience. Their software enables them to adapt and change the coverage up to 1,000 times per second and can detect, geolocate and mitigate multiple and simultaneous interference with high precision. The satellite is also radiation hardened to protect against a potential nuclear blast.
SpainSat NG satellites will deliver a tenfold increase in communications capacity over the previous generation, allowing the transmission of more data more quickly with coverage over two thirds of the Earth’s surface.
The twin satellite SpainSat NG-II, which is currently under construction and testing at Airbus Defence and Space facilities, will be completed at the end of 2025.
Suggested Items
Siemens Announces PAVE360 Support for New Arm Zena Compute Subsystems
06/04/2025 | Siemens Digital Industries SoftwareSiemens Digital Industries Software announced today that it is expanding its longstanding relationship with Arm and adding support for the newly launched Arm® Zena™ Compute Subsystems (CSS) in its PAVE360™ software, designed for software-defined vehicles (SDV).
IPC Releases Latest Standards and Revisions Updates
06/05/2025 | IPCEach quarter, IPC releases a list of standards that are new or have been updated. To view a complete list of newly published standards and standards revisions, translations, proposed standards for ballot, final drafts for industry review, working drafts, and project approvals, visit ipc.org/status. These are the latest releases for Q1 2025.
Datest Receives Its 16th AS9100D Recertification Audit
06/03/2025 | DatestDatest, a trusted leader in advanced testing, engineering, inspection, and failure analysis services, proudly announces sixteen straight years of aerospace-grade perfection. Cue the confetti cannons (ESD-safe, of course).
Elma Electronic Bolsters Quality Management Company-wide with Added AS9100:D and ISO9001:2015 Certifications
06/02/2025 | Elma ElectronicElma Electronic now includes AS9100:D and ISO 9001:2015 certifications at its Horsham, Pa. manufacturing facility, earning the company a multiple site accreditation designation.
Maxar Space Systems Selected to Build High-Power EchoStar XXVI Satellite Share
06/02/2025 | BUSINESS WIREMaxar Space Systems, a trusted partner in satellite design and manufacturing, today announced it has been awarded a contract by EchoStar Corporation to manufacture EchoStar XXVI, a high-power geostationary communications satellite based on the Maxar 1300™ platform.