Two telecommunications satellites that can be reprogrammed while in space to respond to changing demands on Earth have passed their critical design reviews.
The satellites – which are being developed and built by satellite manufacturers Airbus and Thales Alenia Space for satellite operator Hisdesat in Spain – are due to launch in 2023 and 2024.
They will provide secure communications using innovative technologies such as fully reconfigurable active antennas with beam hopping and geolocation capabilities, artificial intelligence, big data and the internet of things.
The programme – called SpainSat Next Generation – builds on ESA's Pacis-3 Partnership Project with Hisdesat, which supports the development and integration of the innovative satellite payload elements.
ESA Partnership Projects de-risk the investments made by partners to meet rapidly changing market needs.