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The communication payloads of both satellites are
being manufactured within the Spanish Space indus-
try, including the integration of the Communications
Module, a big step forward for the Spanish Space sec-
tor. Airbus in Spain is responsible for the X-band
payload, while Thales Alenia Space in Spain is res-
ponsible for the UHF and Ka band payloads. Other
companies from the Spanish Space industry are also
participating. The UHF payload is a novelty for our
Completion of the PDR country, positioning us at the forefront of the few

phase countries in the world with national systems using the
military UHF band.

The SPAINSAT NG programme, owned and operated The satellites are based on the Eurostar Neo platform,
by Hisdesat, successfully passed the preliminary de- the new Airbus geo-stationary telecommunications
sign review (PDR) of the payload and the complete sa- satellite product. This is a significant evolution of the
tellite, including the PDR of the Pacis 3 (PP) elements. successful and highly reliable Eurostar series featuring
SPAINSAT NG is being manufactured by a consor- a full range of important innovations. The SPAINSAT
tium of four contractors: Airbus in Spain and France, NG satellites include a highly flexible X-band payload
and Thales Alenia Space in Spain and France. employing active antennas that can be reconfigu-
red in orbit, an integrated digital processor that
This important milestone confirms the robustness of will interconnect the X- and Ka-band payloads for
the preliminary design and the technical capabilities of cross-bands, and a dedicated high-speed service
the SPAINSAT NG satellite system. link controller allowing for quick reconfiguration.

Despite the challenges related to Covid-19, the teams The development of SPAINSAT NG is supported by
managed to reach this milestone within the planned ti- the Spanish Industrial Technology Development
meframe thanks to their commitment to continue wor- Centre (CDTI) within the framework of a public-pri-
king at full capacity by combining remote work with vate collaboration between the European Space
face-to-face activity at the workplace. Agency (ESA) and the satellite operator Hisdesat ,
known as Pacis 3.
Successfully passing the satellite and payload PDR, in-
cluding Pacis 3, within the planned schedule shows the ESA’s partnership project supports the development
incredible commitment and excellent performance of and integration of innovative satellite payload ele-
all teams working on this challenging programme. This ments, such as the reconfigurable active X-band
has been achieved thanks to the efforts of all, from our transmitting and receiving antennas and the drop-
principal end client and partner in the SPAINSAT NG down paddle with individually steerable Ka-band
PPP, the Spanish Ministry of Defence, and the finan- antennas. The partnership project will de-risk part-
cing by the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Commerce ner investments to respond to market needs through
and Tourism, to the CDTI, ESA, Hisdesat, Airbus, Thales the development of a sustainable end-to-end system
Alenia Space and the rest of the industry players wor- up to in-orbit validation. It will also demonstrate novel
king on the programme. sharing and exchange concepts in order to ultimately

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