SpaceX successfully launched the SpainSat New Generation 1 (SNG 1) satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit on behalf of Hisdesat, a Spanish communications company. The mission marked the 430th Falcon 9 launch and the 21st flight of booster B1073.
The SNG 1 satellite, supported by the European Space Agency (ESA), is designed to provide secure military communications services across Europe and beyond. Weighing around 6.1 tonnes, the satellite features cutting-edge direct radiating array technology, allowing it to adapt coverage zones thousands of times per second and locate terrestrial emitters with high accuracy.
The launch took place from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday night, with favorable weather conditions. However, due to the satellite requiring “additional performance” from the Falcon 9 rocket, SpaceX did not recover the first stage booster, B1073, after its landing attempt failed.
The SNG 1 mission is the first of two for the SpainSat NG Program and will operate in geostationary Earth orbit at the 30 degrees West position. The satellites are designed to provide effective command and control over military operations beyond line of sight in approximately two-thirds of the Earth’s surface area, covering regions from the United States to South America, the Middle East, Europe, and Singapore.
Hisdesat CEO Miguel Ángel García Primo described the X-band active antennas developed for the satellites as “the most challenging active antennas ever developed in Europe,” positioning his company at the edge of space technology. The satellites are designed to have a 15-year operating lifespan, barring technical issues.
Source: https://spaceflightnow.com/2025/01/29/live-coverage-spacex-to-launch-spainsat-new-generation-1-satellite-on-falcon-9-rocket-from-the-kennedy-space-center