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 US.
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.