On Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, SpaceX launched Hisdesat’s SpainSat New Generation (NG) I communication satellite from Space Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center, FL.
Falcon 9 launches the SpainSat NG I mission to orbit from Florida pic.twitter.com/n4uCtvqocY
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) January 30, 2025
At 20:34 EST (01:34 UTC, Jan. 30) the SpainSat NG I lifted off on top of a Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket towards geostationary (GEO) orbit.
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Launch and Deployment
Approximately two and a half minutes into the launch ascent phase, the stage separation occurred, followed by the fairing detachment about a minute later. Ultimately, just over half an hour after the lift-off, the second stage successfully released the satellite and placed it into an elliptical geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO).
And that’s a wrap for the SpainSat NG-I launch! ✅
— Airbus Space (@AirbusSpace) January 30, 2025
Last night, the first of the two Airbus-built new generation SpainSat satellites, SpainSat NG-I, was successfully launched on a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, in the U.S.
Europe’s most advanced secure communications… pic.twitter.com/ig0WbNcO8j
Now the satellite will spend some months climbing into its 29°E geostationary target position through highly efficient electric propulsion thrusters. They use less fuel compared to their chemical counterparts, enabling much larger payloads to be delivered into geostationary orbit.
Due to the additional performance required to carry the payload to GTO, the SpainSat NG I mission marked the 21st and final launch for this Falcon 9 first stage booster, B1073, which previously launched SES-22, ispace’s HAKUTO-R Mission 1, Amazonas-6, CRS-27, Bandwagon-1, GSAT-20, Thuraya-4, and 13 Starlink missions.
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The mission: project and partners
The SpainSat NG program aims to develop, launch and operate the European most advanced next-gen military telecommunications satellites. It represents Spain’s most ambitious program and Hisdesat’s most significant project up to now.
Among the objectives of the mission, the SpainSat NG satellites will guarantee a reliable communication system to effectively support and control the operations of the Armed Forces even outside the visual and radio transmission field. These telecommunication satellites will ensure higher-quality broadcast even in the military zones free of infrastructures. It will enhance security too, since the payload includes advanced protection technologies against interference attempts, communication disturbances and other potential threats, such as nuclear phenomena that could occur at high altitude.
The program benefits from the contribution and cooperation of several firms, especially the French and Spanish subsidiaries of the European companies Airbus Defense and Space and Thales Alenia Space. While Hisdesat is the operator of the satellite communication services, the manufacturing is managed by a consortium of four contractors-led national industry. Led by Airbus DS France, the consortium sees Airbus DS Spain being the main contractor and integrator of the X-band payload and TAS Spain being the main contractor and integrator of the military Ka and UHF bands.
Airbus DS also contributed to finalizing the Manufacturing, Assembly, Integration and Testing (MAIT) process and to delivering the Eurosat NEO platform-based NG I full satellite to Hisdesat. Once the payload reaches its GEO designated position, the Spanish company will control and operate it over the time ensuring to meet the Spanish government and the military communication needs.
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The Eurostar NEO platform-based payload
The SpainSat NG project comprises two satellites – SpainSat NG I and SpainSat NG II – which will operate in X-band, military Ka band, and UHF. They are designed to cover two-thirds of the Earth surface – an area spanning from the US and South America to Europe, Africa, and extending into the Asian continent – for an operational useful life of 15 years in orbit, remaining in service until 2040.
The SpainSat NG I will cover the GEO 29°E spot, replacing XTAR-EUR. The SpainSat NG II will also be launched in 2025 and will occupy the GEO 30°W position, replacing SpainSat, to guarantee a global coverage.
SpainSat NG I marks the fifth flight of an Eurostar NEO platform-based communication satellite, after Eutelsat Hotbird 13F, its twin Eutelsat Hotbird 13G, Arabsat 7B (Badr-8) and lately Thuraya 4-NGS. Eurostar Neo, the evolution of the former Eurostar platform, is the Airbus’ next-gen high-performance communications satellite operating in geostationary orbit. Just two Eurostar Neo platforms can provide global connectivity for high-speed internet, high-efficiency broadcast and advanced mobile communications.
The Eurostar NEO’s innovative design stands out from the previous technology thanks to several major improvements. It features a fully flexible X-band payload with active antennas, enhanced reconfiguration capabilities, and a band crossover system interconnecting military X- and Ka-band payloads. These innovations will deliver 16 times the capacity in X- and Ka-band military communications while also introducing a new payload in the UHF band.
Pacis 3 is a public-private collaboration between the European Space Agency (ESA) and Hisdesat, aimed at developing advanced satellite technologies. The initiative supports the integration of innovative payloads, including reconfigurable X-band active transmit and receive antennas and a panel with individually steerable Ka-band antennas.
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