Ibadan, 9 June 2023. – The Communications Module of the SpainSat NG-I telecommunications satellite has left Thales Alenia Space’s plant in Tres Cantos, Spain, towards the Airbus Defence and Space plant in Toulouse, France. The module will subsequently proceed with the assembly, integration, and test (AIT) activities of the whole satellite.
The SPAINSAT NG program, which Hisdesat Servicios Estratégicos S.A. owns and operates, will provide continuity of secure communications services to the Spanish Ministry of Defence and Governmental Agencies using Hisdesat’s current fleet, with enhanced capacities. It comprises two satellites, SpainSat NG I and II, which will be at different geostationary positions to operate in X, military Ka, and UHF bands. Furthermore, Airbus Defence and Space in Spain is responsible for the X-band payload. At the same time, Thales Alenia Space in Spain is responsible for the UHF and Ka-band payloads of the two satellites. Other companies from the Spanish space industry are also involved.
The Communications Module of SpainSat NG-I arrived in Tres Cantos in December 2021. Since then, it has undergone comprehensive assembly, integration, and test activities of the three communication payloads in X, military Ka, and UHF bands, involving hundreds of electronics and radiofrequency units.
SpainSat NG-I will now proceed with the AIT activities at satellite level in Toulouse, preparing for launch in 2024. In the meantime, the Communications Module of its “twin” satellite, SpainSat NG-II, will continue with the payloads’ assembly, integration, and test activities in Thales Alenia Space’s clean rooms in Tres Cantos.
