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Spain’s Spainsat NG I Satellite Launch

Published

4 days ago

January 9, 2025

Spainsat NG I set to launch, marking a historic leap for Spain’s aerospace and communication capabilities credit : Shutterstock, NicoElNino

Spain is gearing up for a groundbreaking event in its space exploration journey.

On 28 January 2025, the country’s most advanced satellite, Spainsat NG I, will take off aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Managed by Hisdesat, this launch will ensure secure communications for Spain’s Armed Forces and NATO allies while marking a significant leap forward in the nation’s aerospace achievements.

What sets Spainsat NG I apart is its state-of-the-art design, crafted for ultimate security and resilience. The satellite features antennas that can withstand electromagnetic pulses, including those caused by nuclear explosions, ensuring uninterrupted functionality even in extreme conditions. Additionally, its advanced geolocation capabilities allow it to pinpoint and counter interference, earning it NATO certification and placing Spain alongside elite nations such as the US, the UK, and France in providing secure communications to the Alliance.

Technological excellence: Spain’s satellite expands global reach

Spainsat NG I is the first of two satellites in the Spainsat NG programme. Together, they will provide coverage to two-thirds of the globe, from the US to Southeast Asia. Built on Airbus’s Eurostar NEO platform with advanced X, Ka military, and UHF bands, the satellite promises increased capacity and flexibility, with a mission lifespan extending to 2040.

Developed in collaboration with Thales Alenia Space, this initiative showcases Spain’s leadership in cutting-edge technology. Beyond military use, the satellite will also support government agencies and allied nations under international agreements.

Spain’s pioneering legacy in Space innovation

Spainsat NG I’s launch is just one highlight of Spain’s growing prominence in the space industry. The country has already made strides in Earth observation and environmental monitoring with:

Paz Satellite: Spain’s first radar-equipped Earth observation satellite, launched in 2018, providing critical data for civilian and military purposes.
Sentinel-2: Part of ESA’s Copernicus programme, offering invaluable data for agriculture, disaster management, and urban planning.
Landsat Programme: While not Spanish-owned, the country benefits from this NASA initiative for land-use and environmental research.

Countdown to Spain’s historic satellite launch

Final preparations for the launch are underway in Florida. The satellite’s narrow two-hour launch window ensures precise coordination, with contingencies in place for weather or technical delays. Hisdesat CEO Miguel Ángel García Primo expressed optimism, citing typically favourable January conditions in Florida.

This momentous event solidifies Spain’s reputation as a leader in secure communication and space innovation. Spainsat NG I’s launch is a testament to the country’s ambition and expertise on the global aerospace stage.

Stay connected with Euro Weekly News for the latest updates on Spain

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Palma De Mallorca Passenger Record

Published

4 hours ago

January 13, 2025

Anna Ellis

Image: Zixia / Shutterstock.com.

Palma de Mallorca Airport concluded 2024 with a record 33,298,164 passengers, marking a 7 per cent increase compared to 2023.

These figures, just released by Aena, confirm that it has been the busiest year in the airport’s history.

Of the total number of commercial passengers, 9,058,246 flew on domestic routes, a 5 per cent rise, while 24,225,720 travelled on international flights, an increase of 7.8 per cent.

In terms of operations, the airport handled 243,200 flights, up by 6.2 per cent from 2023, setting a new record for aircraft movements.

Passenger Records set in December at Palma de Mallorca Airport

In December 2024, Palma de Mallorca Airport saw 1,082,512 passengers, a 4.2 per cent increase over the same month in 2023. The airport managed 9,573 flights, representing a 2.8 per cent growth.

Of the passengers in December, 656,123 were domestic travellers (+1.1 per cent), while 426,254 were international passengers (+9.4 per cent).

The Aena Group, which operates 46 airports and two heliports in Spain, as well as London-Luton Airport and 17 airports in Brazil, closed 2024 with a total of 369,444,029 passengers, an 8.5 per cent increase from 2023. The group managed 3,203,747 aircraft movements, a 7.1 per cent rise, and handled 1,421,640 tonnes of cargo, an 18.1 per cent increase.

In December 2024, Aena Group airports processed 26,925,911 passengers, up by 7.2 per cent from the previous year.

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Record Foreign House Music Earnings

Published

4 hours ago

January 13, 2025

John Smith

Franky Rizardo made 112 foreign performances in 2024 Credit: Franky Rizardo Facebook

Although there is no history of successful Dutch rock groups outside of the Netherlands, there is still plenty of export money to be made from current trends.

Looking back, it’s hard to find more than a handful of successful Dutch rock bands that were successful outside of their homeland with probably Alquin, Focus, Golden Earring, Shocking Blue and Supersister making up that that handful.

The Netherlands earned record foreign income from House Music performances in 2024

Where the Dutch are currently particularly strong is in the area of House Music and according to research commissioned by Buma Cultuur, this genre represented foreign earnings of €136 million in 2024 which accounts for 62 per cent of the grand total of €220 million.

This total figure represents a new record and beat the 2018 record by 11 per cent with the top four Dutch DJs and producers appearing outside of the Netherlands on 410 occasions in 2024 with the most in demand being Franky Rizardo.

It’s not just House Music that is popular as performances by André Rieu were in great demand around the world

One of the more traditional Dutch musicians, violinist and conductor André Rieu proved to be very popular with foreign audiences and although he performed more than once a week outside of the Netherlands, he has also earned an enormous amount from TV and DVD recordings of his massively popular concerts.

Until Brexit, the UK probably earned more overseas performance earnings than any other European country but although the top performers such as Elton John, Coldplay and Ed Sheeran can still afford to tour internationally, new rules and regulations have made it increasingly difficult for up and coming artists to take part in many European events.

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Rafa Nadal’s Housing Development Green Lit

Published

19 hours ago

January 12, 2025

Adam Woodward

rafa-nadal’s-housing-development-green-lit

Laguna Beach, site of redevelopment. Credit: Ayuntamiento de Estepona.

Rafael Nadal and hotel entrepreneur Abel Matutes Prats have partnered up to develop two large luxury residential projects on the Costa del Sol.

The Junta de Andalucía has just approved one, the licence for the urban development in the Los Llanos sector, in Estepona, for its attention to environmental sustainability. This approval suggests that the Estepona council plans to approve the development in its next Plenary, scheduled for January.

The initiative includes Palya Invest, based in the Balearic Islands, which owns Palya Casa del Mar, whose board includes Abel Matutes Prats and Sebastián Nadal Homar, Rafa Nadal‘s dad. The project aims to reduce the area of construction for better urban management. The road leading to the project includes a design to create better access to the beach for everyone.

The new remodelled concept is to construct detached homes and semi-detached houses reducing considerably the footprint of each construction, which is estimated to be some 50 houses with 3 floors, and adding many more trees as well as maintaining as many existing ones as possible.

The Los Llanos plot was purchased by Mabel Casa for about €20 million at the end of 2019, making it one of the last virgin real estate developments by the sea on the Costa del Sol.

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