New Spanish communications satellite suffers ‘space particle’ impact

WASHINGTON — A Spanish military communications satellite launched in October was struck by what its operator described as a “space particle,” an incident that could jeopardize the spacecraft’s mission.

Indra Group, the majority owner of satellite operator Hisdesat, announced Jan. 2 that the SpainSat NG 2 satellite “suffered the impact of a space particle” while maneuvering to its final position in geostationary orbit.

The company provided few details, including the exact timing of the incident. It said the impact occurred when the spacecraft was at an altitude of about 50,000 kilometers.

The Airbus-built SpainSat NG 2 launched Oct. 23 on a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The 6,100-kilogram satellite was placed into a supersynchronous transfer orbit with an apogee of more than 60,000 kilometers on a rare Falcon 9 mission that expended the booster to achieve higher performance.

The altitude of the incident, well above the geostationary belt, suggests a collision with orbital debris is unlikely. The spacecraft may instead have been struck by a micrometeoroid. Another possibility is that the reference to a “space particle” reflects an interaction with charged particles associated with space weather; NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center reported minor to moderate activity in recent days.

SpainSat NG 2 is one of two satellites launched last year by Hisdesat to provide secure communications for the Spanish Ministry of Defense and allied governments. SpainSat NG 1 launched in January 2025 on another Falcon 9 and is operating normally.

Indra said it activated a contingency plan to ensure customers are not affected by the incident involving SpainSat NG 2.

“The technical team is analyzing the available data to determine the extent of the damage. If necessary, SpainSat NG II will be replaced as soon as possible,” the company said.

Replacing a large geostationary communications satellite, particularly one carrying a specialized communications payload, could take several years.

Both SpainSat NG satellites use Airbus Eurostar Neo satellite buses and are equipped with reconfigurable X-band antennas and steerable Ka-band antennas that were developed in part with technical support from the European Space Agency.

“SpainSat NG represents the next generation of secure satellite communications in Europe,” Laurent Jaffart, ESA’s director of connectivity and secure communications, said in a statement after the launch of SpainSat NG 2. “This second launch marks a key milestone in providing more adaptable and secure communications services that will benefit governmental users across Europe and beyond.”