• Airbus will lead the 48-month SpainSat NG III programme, with Thales Alenia Space responsible for the UHF and military Ka-band payloads
  • NG III will replace the damaged NG II, while existing satellites maintain secure communications ahead of the planned Q3 2030 launch

The fact

Hisdesat has chosen Airbus Defence and Space to build SpainSat NG III, a replacement for SpainSat NG II, which was damaged shortly after launch and could not carry out its mission. Airbus will lead the programme from design through integration and testing. Thales Alenia Space in Spain will build the UHF and military Ka-band payloads, while Airbus will provide the X-band antennas. Together, these systems will support secure military communications across three frequency bands, with protection against jamming and spoofing.

The replacement is expected to take 48 months to build, with launch planned for the third quarter of 2030 and service in early 2031. Spain’s Ministry of Defence says there is no immediate service gap because existing SpainSat capacity and the older SpainSat satellite are continuing to provide secure communications. Once NG III is operational, it will work alongside SpainSat NG I, returning the programme to its planned two-satellite configuration with coverage across about two-thirds of the Earth.

The assessment

Spain does not need NG III to restore an immediate loss of service because its existing satellites are still providing secure communications. The task is therefore to keep that arrangement running until the replacement is ready. Before Hisdesat can return to its planned two-satellite system, NG III still has to move through design, payload production, integration, testing and launch.

That leaves Spain dependent on its current satellites throughout the four-year development programme. Airbus will build and integrate the spacecraft, while Thales Alenia Space will deliver key payloads, so delays in either programme could push back the planned 2030 launch. NG III will then need to complete in-orbit testing and acceptance before entering service. For BTW readers, the practical issue is timing: even if development stays on schedule, Spain is likely to rely on the interim arrangement until NG III becomes operational in early 2031.

What to watch

The next milestones are the preliminary and critical design reviews, completion of the payloads, satellite integration and environmental testing. Hisdesat will also need to confirm the launch provider and final launch window ahead of the third-quarter 2030 target. After launch, in-orbit testing and operational acceptance will determine whether NG III can enter service in early 2031 and allow Spain to move away from its interim satellite arrangement.