The fate of Spain’s newest communications satellite is up in the air.<\/p>\n
SpainSat NG-2 was the second military communications satellite launched for Spain last year. It was on its way to an operational location in geostationary orbit<\/a> when it was struck by a “space particle,” according to a Jan. 2 statement<\/a> from Indra Group, the majority stakeholder of Hisdesat, which owns and operates the SpainSat NG-2 satellite on behalf of Spain\u2019s Ministry of Defense.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n SpainSat NG-2 launched<\/a> on a SpaceX<\/a> Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Oct. 23. The satellite was meant to complete a secure communications constellation duo, but now may not get that chance.<\/p>\n You may like<\/p>\n SpainSat NG-1 also launched on a Falcon 9<\/a>, heading to orbit last January. The Airbus-built 2-billion-euro ($2.3 billion USD) pair of satellites was designed as an “advanced government communications system in Europe,” according to Airbus<\/a>. Since its launch in October, SpainSat NG-2 has been slowly making its way toward geostationary orbit, but its status since the collision remains unknown.<\/p>\n According to Indra Group, the space particle impact occurred at about 31,000 miles (50,000 kilometers) in altitude. That’s higher than geostationary orbit, which lies 22,236 miles (35,786 km) above Earth<\/a>.<\/p>\n “Hisdesat implemented a contingency plan to ensure that the Ministry of Defense and other clients are not affected,” Indra Group said in the statement.<\/p>\n “The technical team is analyzing the available data to determine the extent of the damage,” the statement continued. “If necessary, SpainSat NG-2 will be replaced as soon as possible.”<\/p>\n