Thales Alenia Space Advances Spanish Space Industry with Successful Integration of SPAINSAT NG Payloads

© Thales Alenia Space

(IN BRIEF) Thales Alenia Space’s Tres Cantos facility in Spain has successfully integrated the SPAINSAT NG satellite communication payloads, marking a significant milestone for the Spanish space industry. The Communications Module of the SpainSat NG-I satellite has been transported to Airbus Defence and Space in Toulouse for further assembly, integration, and testing. The SPAINSAT NG program, owned by Hisdesat Servicios Estratégicos S.A., aims to provide enhanced secure communication services to the Spanish Ministry of Defence and Governmental Agencies. SpainSat NG-I will undergo AIT activities in Toulouse, while the Communications Module of its twin satellite, SpainSat NG-II, will continue testing in Tres Cantos.

(PRESS RELEASE) PARIS, 6-Jun-2023 — /EuropaWire/ —  Thales (EPA: HO), a French multinational company active in the aerospace, defence, transportation and security markets, announces that the successful integration of the SPAINSAT NG satellite communication payloads at Thales Alenia Space’s state-of-the-art clean rooms in Tres Cantos marks a significant milestone for the Spanish space industry.

The Communications Module of the SpainSat NG-I telecommunications satellite, developed under the ownership of Hisdesat Servicios Estratégicos S.A., has departed Thales Alenia Space’s facility in Tres Cantos, Spain, securely transported in a specially designed container on a dedicated truck. The module is en route to Airbus Defence and Space in Toulouse, France, where the assembly, integration, and testing (AIT) process for the entire satellite will take place.

The SPAINSAT NG program, comprising two satellites, SpainSat NG I and II, is designed to provide enhanced secure communication services to the Spanish Ministry of Defence and Governmental Agencies. These satellites will operate in X, military Ka, and UHF bands from separate geostationary positions. The communication payloads for both satellites are supplied by Spanish industry, with the Communications Module’s integration in Spain representing a significant advancement for the country’s space sector.

Airbus Defence and Space in Spain is responsible for the integrated X-band payload, while Thales Alenia Space in Spain is tasked with the UHF and Ka-band payloads for both satellites. Several other Spanish space industry companies are also involved in the project.

The Communications Module of SpainSat NG-I arrived in Tres Cantos in December 2021 and has since undergone comprehensive assembly, integration, and testing of the three communication payloads, involving numerous electronics and radiofrequency units across X, military Ka, and UHF bands.

With the completion of AIT activities at satellite level in Toulouse, SpainSat NG-I will be prepared for launch in 2024. Meanwhile, the Communications Module of its twin satellite, SpainSat NG-II, will continue with the assembly, integration, and testing of the payloads at Thales Alenia Space’s clean rooms in Tres Cantos.

This significant progress in the SPAINSAT NG program not only reinforces Spain’s capabilities in the satellite communications domain but also demonstrates the country’s commitment to advancing its presence in the global space industry.

ABOUT THALES ALENIA SPACE
Drawing on over 40 years of experience and a unique combination of skills, expertise and cultures, Thales Alenia Space delivers cost-effective solutions for telecommunications, navigation, Earth observation, environmental management, exploration, science and orbital infrastructures. Governments and private industry alike count on Thales Alenia Space to design satellite-based systems that provide anytime, anywhere connections and positioning, monitor our planet, enhance management of its resources, and explore our Solar System and beyond. Thales Alenia Space sees space as a new horizon, helping to build a better, more sustainable life on Earth. A joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), Thales Alenia Space also teams up with Telespazio to form the parent companies’ Space Alliance, which offers a complete range of services. Thales Alenia Space posted consolidated revenues of approximately 2.2 billion euros in 2022 and has around 8,500 employees in 17 sites in 10 countries across Europe and a plant in the USA.

THALES ALENIA SPACE – PRESS CONTACTS

Oriol Casas Thió
Tel.: +34 618 509 197
oriol.casasthio@thalesaleniaspace.com

Sandrine Bielecki
Tel.: +33 (0)4 92 92 70 94
sandrine.bielecki@thalesaleniaspace.com

Catherine des Arcis
Tel.: +33 (0)6 78 64 63 97
catherine.des-arcis@thalesaleniaspace.com

SOURCE: Thales