GovSat selects Thales Alenia Space to build secure satellite for military communications

Written by Copernical Team Tuesday, 29 July 2025 09:46

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Paris, France (SPX) Jul 25, 2025

GovSat, the public-private partnership between the Luxembourg Government and SES, has awarded Thales Alenia Space a contract to develop a new geostationary defence communications satellite, GovSat-2. The platform will deliver resilient and secure telecom services for national defense and allied missions. The satellite will operate in X, Ka, and UHF frequency bands, supporting high-assuranc

GovSat selects Thales Alenia Space to build secure satellite for military communications
by Erica Marchand
Paris, France (SPX) Jul 25, 2025

GovSat, the public-private partnership between the Luxembourg Government and SES, has awarded Thales Alenia Space a contract to develop a new geostationary defence communications satellite, GovSat-2. The platform will deliver resilient and secure telecom services for national defense and allied missions.

The satellite will operate in X, Ka, and UHF frequency bands, supporting high-assurance, jam-resistant connectivity. It will be based on Thales Alenia Space's Spacebus 4000B2 platform, which is known for its proven reliability and swift deployment capabilities.

As the prime contractor, Thales Alenia Space will oversee all aspects of the project, including satellite design, manufacturing, testing, and delivery. GovSat-2 is designed for an operational lifespan of over 15 years in orbit.

"I wish to express my gratitude to GovSat and its shareholders, SES and the Luxembourg Government, for placing their trust in our company," said Herve Derrey, CEO of Thales Alenia Space. "GovSat-2 will enhance Luxembourg's sovereignty in the field of defence satellite telecommunications. Today's achievement is a new evidence of the rebound of the defence geostationary market. This new contract further underscores the success of our Spacebus 4000 product line, which has represented a total of 42 satellite programmes, including 16 based on the Spacebus 4000B2 platform."

The Luxembourg Directorate of Defence and SES will co-fund the mission, pending parliamentary approval of the related legislation.