Secure Communications Thales Alenia Space strengthens Spain’s leadership in space technology with SpainSat NG II launch

Spain has reached a major milestone in secure satellite communications with the successful launch of the SpainSat NG II from Cape Canaveral. Thales Alenia Space, in partnership with Airbus Defence and Space, played a leading role in developing and integrating the satellite’s communication systems — marking the largest and most advanced space project ever assembled in Spain.

The secure communications satellite SpainSat NG II has successfully launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Operated by Hisdesat Servicios Estratégicos S.A., the SPAINSAT NG system will provide secure and resilient communications to the Spanish Armed Forces, international organizations such as the European Commission and NATO, and allied nations for decades to come.

The SPAINSAT NG programme is regarded as the most ambitious space project in Spain’s history, both in scope and industrial participation. The satellites operate in X, military Ka, and UHF frequency bands, ensuring high-throughput, secure connectivity for defence and institutional missions.

Thales Alenia Space — a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%) — together with Airbus Defence and Space, led the construction and system integration of the two satellites. In Spain, Thales Alenia Space was responsible for the UHF and military Ka-band payloads and, alongside Airbus, for integrating the communication modules, which form the technological core of both satellites.

“This launch marks the culmination of a transformative project for the Spanish space industry,” said Ismael López, CEO of Thales Alenia Space in Spain. “We are grateful for the trust placed in us by Hisdesat and the Ministry of Defense to lead, for the first time in Spain, the development of the communications payloads for the SPAINSAT NG satellites. This achievement elevates Spain’s space industry to a new level.”

Advanced satellite integration in Madrid

To support this mission, Thales Alenia Space established a dedicated satellite assembly and integration clean room at its Tres Cantos facility in Madrid, inaugurated in 2021. The facility, built specifically for the SPAINSAT NG program, enabled the integration of a two-tonne, six-meter-high communications module — the largest and most complex ever assembled in Spain.

Thales Alenia Space also designed and manufactured over 200 electronic and radiofrequency units in Spain, France, Italy, and Belgium. These include the UHF processor — the core of the UHF payload — the Digital Transparent Processor (DTP) connecting X- and Ka-band payloads, and the Hilink unit, which provides a high-speed service link for rapid reconfiguration.

The project demonstrates Spain’s growing capability to handle large-scale, high-complexity space programs, establishing the country as a key European hub for secure satellite communications.