Spain signs contract with Airbus to build SpainSat NG-III secure communications satellite

Spain's strategic space agency Hisdesat has awarded Airbus Defence and Space a contract to develop the SpainSat NG‑III satellite, a next‑generation secure communications platform for the Spanish armed forces, national security agencies and NATO allies. The spacecraft will operate in X‑band, Ka‑band and UHF, feature reconfigurable active antennas that can change coverage up to 1,000 times per second, and include hardened resilience against jamming, electronic interference, high‑altitude nuclear events and electromagnetic pulses. Airbus will act as prime contractor, with Thales Alenia Space providing the UHF and Ka‑band payloads and a network of Spanish and European firms supplying additional components.

The satellite is slated for launch in the third quarter of 2030 and entry into service in early 2031, extending the SpainSat NG constellation’s coverage to two‑thirds of the globe, from the Americas through Europe, Africa and the Middle East. “In today’s complex geopolitical landscape, SpainSat NG‑III reinforces Spanish and European strategic autonomy by securing mission‑critical communications for Spain, NATO, and our allied forces,” said Alain Fauré, Head of Space Systems at Airbus Defence and Space.