Airbus has successfully launched its SpainSat NG-II secure communications satellite designed to bring satellite communications (SATCOM) to Spain.
The launch took place from the Kennedy Space Center in the U.S. and is billed as one of the most advanced government communications systems in Europe, Airbus said.
Airbus built the SpainSat NG-II for the Spanish Ministry of Defense and will be operated by Spain’s Hisdesat. By the Spring of 2026, the satellite is expected to serve:
- Spanish Armed Forces
- European Commission in the GOVSATCOM program
- NATO
- Other allied governments
"Secure satellite communications play an increasingly important role in operating effectively in multiple fields, including military operations and humanitarian relief and rescue missions,” said Raquel González Sola, head of space systems at Airbus in Spain. “With SpainSat NG, Spain will be at the forefront of Europe and among one of the few countries in the world with access to the most secure communications networks, providing our country and its allies with sovereignty and strategic autonomy.”
The satellite
The SpainSat NG-II is based on Airbus’ Eurostar Neo Platform. It is about 7 meters long and weighs about 6 tons.
The satellite carries a payload that includes an X-band active receiver and transmit antenna system that provides the equivalent of 16 traditional antennas. The satellite will provide communications to military and government missions that can adapt and change its coverage up to 1,000 times per second.
The antenna system also can eliminate and geolocate jamming attempts with high accuracy and is hardened against potential nuclear electromagnetic pulses in orbit, Airbus said.
