Airbus Defence and Space has successfully launched SpainSat NG-II, the second of two next-generation secure communications satellites developed for Spain’s Ministry of Defence and Hisdesat, marking a major milestone in Europe’s strategic space autonomy.
The satellite was launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and will provide secure governmental and military communications for Spain, the European Union’s GOVSATCOM program, and allied nations. SpainSat NG-II follows the earlier launch of SpainSat NG-I in January, completing the dual-satellite SpainSat Next Generation (NG) system designed to ensure continuous, jam-resistant, and resilient communications capability for decades to come.
Built on Airbus’s Eurostar Neo platform, SpainSat NG-II weighs approximately six tons and carries one of the most advanced X-band payloads ever developed in Europe. Its active phased-array antennas can dynamically reconfigure coverage in real time, providing flexibility across Europe, Africa, the Americas, and the Middle East. The system’s advanced anti-jamming and geolocation features allow it to detect and counter interference attempts, while its payload is hardened against nuclear electromagnetic pulses.
According to Airbus, the spacecraft will enter operational service in spring 2026, supporting Spain’s defense operations, crisis management, and humanitarian missions. Around half of the satellite’s payload was designed and built by the Spanish space industry, reinforcing the country’s growing role in Europe’s high-end space sector.
Raquel González Sola, Head of Space Systems at Airbus Spain, emphasized the strategic implications of the launch: “SpainSat NG represents a leap forward for Spain’s and Europe’s secure communications. With this program, Spain strengthens its leadership in defense space systems and ensures that critical communications remain under sovereign control.”
The SpainSat NG program—jointly funded by Hisdesat, the Spanish Ministry of Defence, and the European Space Agency—illustrates Europe’s ambition to maintain independent, secure satellite communications infrastructure. The system is expected to support the European Union’s GOVSATCOM initiative, providing resilient links for governmental users across the continent.
With SpainSat NG-II now in orbit, Spain joins the select group of nations operating next-generation military-grade communications satellites designed to ensure information superiority in contested and complex environments.
