SpainSat NG‑III satellite development

Spain’s strategic space agency Hisdesat has awarded a contract to Airbus Defence and Space, with Thales Alenia Space supplying key payloads, to build the SpainSat NG‑III secure communications satellite. The spacecraft will operate in X‑band, Ka‑band and UHF, featuring reconfigurable active antennas and hardened resilience against jamming, electronic interference, high‑altitude nuclear events and electromagnetic pulses.

The 48‑month programme targets a launch in the third quarter of 2030 and entry into service in early 2031, extending the SpainSat NG constellation to cover two‑thirds of the globe—from the Americas through Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The satellite is intended to provide mission‑critical communications for the Spanish armed forces, national security agencies, NATO allies and other allied users, reinforcing Spain’s and Europe’s strategic autonomy in defence communications.

Financing for the project is being accelerated by a direct loan from the Spanish government, part of the 2025 Industrial and Technological Plan for Security and Defence, to replace the damaged SpainSat NG‑II and ensure uninterrupted secure communications for military and government users.