More than one team of engineers stayed up late from Thursday to Friday to watch the launch of the Spanish Spainsat NG II satellite live. With its successful deployment, Spain is placed at the forefront of European defense from space.
On board a Falcon 9. In the absence of European alternatives, the Spainsat NG II took off from Cape Canaveral, in the United States, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The launch, however, was impeccable. The rocket placed the satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit, completing a new generation constellation for the Spanish Armed Forces.
The most advanced in Europe. The second launch of the Spainsat NG program, operated by Hisdesat (now part of Indra) for the Spanish Ministry of Defense, is the culmination of years of development and strategic investments to redefine Spain’s autonomy and climb positions in Europe and NATO.
Composed of the twin satellites NG I (launched in January) and NG II (launched yesterday), it is designed to guarantee secure, reliable and uninterrupted communications, both for Spain and its partners.
In any circumstance. The new satellites are true orbital fortresses. The Spainsat NG incorporate advanced technologies protection against interference attempts (anti-jamming) and identity theft (anti-spoofing). They are even reinforced against high altitude nuclear phenomenameeting the strictest NATO requirements.
This capacity for resilience is precisely what makes Spain climb positions in the Atlantic Alliance. In a modern war scenario, the first battle would be fought in the electromagnetic spectrum, as the Ukrainian war and dependence on Starlink demonstrated. The ability of a country to maintain command and control of its operations, even under nuclear or electronic warfare attack, is a capability that very few countries possess.
Made in Spain. But what really distinguishes this project is the qualitative leap for the national industry. 45% of the Spainsat NG system has been manufactured in Spain. The jewel in the crown is PACIS3, the technological heart of the satellite, which includes an active X-band antenna developed by Airbus Defense and Space in Madrid.
This antenna, the most advanced in Europe, is the equivalent of 16 traditional antennas and allows the satellite adapt and change your coverage up to 1,000 times per second In practical terms, the satellite can not only resist jamming, but can geographically locate the source of the attack on Earth and nullify it. All this while redirecting its communication beams to the areas of operations that need it.
For its part, Thales Alenia Space integrated the complete Communication Module of both satellites. To this end, it built a new state-of-the-art clean room at its Tres Cantos facilities. It is the largest satellite system ever assembled in Spain: a structure of more than two tons and six meters high.
Image | Airbus
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