First of Two Satellites Deploys from Falcon 9 Rocket

On January 29, Airbus successfully deployed its first of two next-generation SpainSat secure communication satellites into orbit. The SpainSat NG-1 launched off a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

“The launch of SpainSat NG-I with cutting-edge secure communications technology enabled by our industry-leading Eurostar Neo platform is a major step for Spanish and European sovereignty,” stated Alain Faure, Airbus Defence and Space’s Head of Space Systems. “Its innovative payload, which represents more than 45% of the satellite, has been developed thanks to a joint effort of the Spanish space industry, led by Airbus.”

The rocket lifted off from Kennedy Space Center’s Pad 39A at 8:34 pm. Just 31 minutes and 51 seconds later, at 9:05 pm, it delivered the SpainSat NG-1 into a geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO). The satellite is now using its five xenon-fueled ion engines to reach its final orbit, 22,369 miles (36,000 km) above Earth.

The event marked SpaceX’s 13th launch in the new year. It also bid farewell to the Falcon 9’s first stage booster, dubbed B1073. The booster took a total of 21 flights, previously being used to launch the commercial Japanese moon lander Hakuto M1 and the CRS-27 International Space Station resupply mission. SpaceX chose to let B1073 go in the recent launch because the mission required “additional performance” from Falcon 9 to send the satellite into GTO.

The SpainSat Next Generation 1 is a secure communications satellite for the European Space Agency (ESA) and Spain-based Hisdesat. It was primarily developed and tested at the Airbus Defense and Space facilities in Toulouse, France. The device is equipped with several protective technologies to prevent interference attempts, spoofing, and potential nuclear abnormalities, as well as Airbus’s X-band transmit and receive antenna system. The active antennas claim to provide as much functionality as 16 conventional antennas.

“SpainSat NG satellites will deliver a tenfold increase in communications capacity over the previous generation, allowing the transmission of more data more quickly with coverage over two-thirds of the Earth’s surface,” Airbus explained.

The twin version of the NG-1, called the SpainSat NG-II, is currently undergoing testing at Airbus Defense and Space facilities. The campaign is slated for completion at the end of 2025.

FMI: www.airbus.com