Defense Speak Interpreted: Update on the Continuing Resolution and Budget Process for Defense
American Made Advocacy: Reshoring—About Trust, Not Just Geography
Beyond the Board: The Future of Innovation—Why the Electronics Industry Needs You
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.
Share on:
Suggested Items
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
04/18/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineIt’s been a busy week in our industry. Never a dull moment! If you’ve been paying attention to our tariff tumult with China and its effect on the stock market, especially if your company does a lot of business with China, you might be tempted to call in a Xanax refill about now. But hang tight. This is still early in the first quarter. This brouhaha serves to underscore our need to manufacture critical laminates and components in the U.S. In this week’s must-reads, we have a potpourri of articles covering tariffs, the next generation of HDI, the three-year anniversary of IPC Mexico, a novel green technology, and emerging design trends.
Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2025: Aster–Enhancing Design for Effective Testing Strategies
04/18/2025 | Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPOWill Webb, technical director at Aster, stresses the importance of testability in design, emphasizing early engagement to identify testing issues. This discussion covers the integration of testing with Industry 4.0, the need for good test coverage, and adherence to industry standards. Innovations like boundary scan testing and new tools for cluster testing are introduced, highlighting advancements in optimizing testing workflows and collaboration with other tools.
IPC President’s Award: Xaver Feiner
04/17/2025 | Nolan Johnson, SMT007 MagazineThroughout his career, Xaver Feiner, vice president of marketing and sales at Zollner Elektronik, has developed extensive expertise in account management and new business development with a strong focus on the semiconductor industry, aerospace, and industrial electronics. Xaver has cultivated a profound understanding of global markets and remains deeply engaged with the challenges and opportunities presented by digital transformation. Since 2020, he has been an active member of the IPC Europe Advocacy Group, where he is dedicated to advancing the position of the electronics industry and the EMS sector across Europe.
New High Power 3D AXI for Power Electronics from Test Research, Inc.
04/17/2025 | TRITest Research, Inc. (TRI), a leading provider of Test and Inspection solutions for the electronics manufacturing industry, proudly announces the launch of the 3D AXI TR7600HP system. Designed for power semiconductor inspection, the TR7600HP enhances accuracy and efficiency in detecting defects in components such as IGBTs, MOSFETs, SiC inverters, and Paladin Connectors.
IPC APEX EXPO 2025 Learning Lounge: Education on the Show Floor
04/16/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007The conference portion of IPC APEX EXPO has been providing educational opportunities for attendees since the first show. But recently, show managers decided to expand education onto the show floor.