Airbus Defence and Space has won a contract from Hisdesat to serve as prime contractor for SpainSat NG-III, the next secure communications satellite for Spain. The programme will be delivered with Thales Alenia Space as co-contractor and is designed to restore and expand military and government communications capacity, with launch targeted for the third quarter of 2030 and entry into service in early 2031.
The satellite will complete the SpainSat NG programme and is intended to provide secure communications for Spain, NATO and allied forces across Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas. Airbus plans to equip the spacecraft with enhanced operational agility, broader bandwidth and stronger resistance to jamming and other electronic threats. The platform will use advanced X-band receive and transmit active antennas, while Thales Alenia Space in Spain will lead the UHF and military Ka-band payloads.
Hisdesat described SpainSat NG-III as the final element of the programme after earlier spacecraft, with Spanish industry contributing key payload elements and more than 10 domestic companies involved. Airbus framed the award as part of Europe’s strategic autonomy in secure communications, while the new spacecraft also replaces capacity lost after SpainSat NG-II was damaged during transfer to orbit and became unusable.