MADRID – July 31, 2026 – Spanish defense operator Hisdesat signed a formal industrial contract on July 31, 2026, with Airbus Defence and Space and Thales Alenia Space to build SpainSat NG III, expanding the country’s next-generation secure military communications architecture.
The agreement completes the industrial structure of the SPAINSAT NG Program, securing sovereign communications capabilities for the Spanish Armed Forces, government entities, NATO, and European partners under the GOVSATCOM initiative.
Strategic Context and European Defense Framework
Developed within a public-private partnership with the Spanish Ministry of Defence, the SPAINSAT NG infrastructure represents the largest space hardware program undertaken by Spain’s aerospace industry. SpainSat NG III builds upon the operational framework established by SpainSat NG I and SpainSat NG II to ensure long-term mission continuity across sovereign and allied defense networks.
The program supplies encrypted, high-capacity channels to sustain command-and-control capabilities during contested operations, disaster response efforts, and international peacekeeping deployments.
Payload Architecture and Frequency Band Subsystems
SpainSat NG III will replicate the baseline satellite bus design of its companion spacecraft while integrating technical enhancements to increase overall network throughput and operational resilience. The spacecraft carries advanced payloads operating in X-band, military Ka-band, and UHF frequencies, featuring protection systems engineered to counter active electronic jamming and spoofing attempts.
The individual satellite footprint will extend from the United States and South America across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. In combination with SpainSat NG I, the integrated constellation coverage will span eastward to Singapore, providing continuous geostationary link capabilities across two-thirds of the globe.
Industrial Allocation and Supply Chain Integration
Airbus Defence and Space serves as the prime contractor for the spacecraft, overseeing overall system development and manufacturing the primary X-band payload in Spain. Thales Alenia Space acts as co-contractor and leads the assembly, integration, and testing of the Communications Module at its Tres Cantos facility, while developing the dedicated UHF and military Ka-band payloads.
More than ten domestic aerospace companies will deliver critical subsystems, flight hardware, and structural elements for the satellite. This broad participation reinforces Spain’s national industrial capabilities in spaceborne defense technology while generating high-skill engineering roles across the European industrial base.
Launch Manifest and Operational Timeline
Under the terms of the 48-month development timeline, SpainSat NG III is scheduled for launch during the third quarter of 2030. Following orbital positioning and in-orbit testing, the spacecraft is slated to achieve full operational capability in early 2031.
