Photo: Ed Cordero FMN
SpaceX launched SpainSat NG-I aboard Falcon 9 this evening from Kennedy Space Center. Liftoff was right at the opening of the launch window at 8:34 PM EST, and into crystalline winter skies over Florida.
Tonight was a rare expendable mission, meaning no attempt to land booster B1073 was made after it had completed its part of the mission at two minutes and forty seconds after liftoff. That was due to additional performance required to deliver this payload to orbit, and is part of the normal Falcon 9 product catalog.
After 21 successful flights, booster B1073 now sleeps with the fishes offshore in the Atlantic Ocean.
At precisely eight minutes after liftoff, Falcon 9’s second stage and the SpainSat payload were in their initial orbit, one which would be rounded slightly after just a bit more than twenty six and a half minutes by a one minute six second burn. From there, SpaceX deployed SpainSat NG I, concluding another successful mission for the company.
SpainSat NG I will now travel under its own power to its operational orbital position.
Payload
Airbus and Thales Alenia Space built SpainSat NG I for Hisdesat Servicios Estratégicos S.A., the Spanish Governmental Satellite Operator.
Airbus, one of the four co-Prime contractors that built SpainSat NG-I described the satellite said:
“SPAINSAT NG will provide coverage on a wide area of the world ranging from the United States and South America to the Middle East, including Africa and Europe and till Singapore in Asia. Both satellites will allow to:
• Ensure effective command and control for beyond line-of-sight operations in 2/3 of the Earth.
• Guarantee communication capability in theatres of operation lacking communications infrastructure.
• Develop more satcom on the move, higher capacity, better secured and assured communications.
• Unlock the potential of the network centric battlespace-netcentric warfare and operations.
The communication payloads of both satellites will be provided by the Spanish industry, including the integration of the Communications Module in Spain, a major step forward for the Spanish industry. Airbus in Spain will be responsible for the X band payload, while Thales Alenia Space in Spain will be responsible for the UHF and mil-Ka band payloads. Other companies from the Spanish space industry will also be involved.
Photo: Charles Boyer / ToT
Next Launch
SpaceX returns to Starlink launches early on Monday morning when it plans to launch more Starlink Group 12 satellites.
- Date: NET February 3, 2025
- Organization: SpaceX
- Mission: Starlink Group 12-3
- Rocket: Falcon 9
- Launch Site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
- Launch Window: 3:54 AM – 8:25 AM EST
- Payload: Starlink satellites
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