Spanish next generation communications satellite launched on SpaceX rocket
The launch took place at 8:34 pm EST (2:34 am CET), marking a historic milestone for the Spanish space sector.
The advanced secure communications satellite, which is 6.7 metres high and 2.7 metres wide and weighs 6.1 tonnes, reached its correct orbital trajectory just nine minutes after liftoff.
Its final destination will be some 36,000 kilometres above Earth.
SpainSat NG-I, together with its twin NG-II which is set to be launched in October, will cover an extensive global area from the United States and South America to Singapore, including Africa, Europe and the Middle East.
This wide coverage will help to ensure effective command and control of the Armed Forces over two-thirds of the Earth's surface.
According to Diana Morant, Spain's minister of science, innovation, and universities, 45 per cent of the parts used in this satellite were manufactured in Spain.
Europe's most advanced secure communications satellite
The satellite incorporates state-of-the-art technologies, including advanced anti-jamming and anti-spoofing systems, as well as reinforcement against nuclear phenomena at a high altitude, according to the satellite's operator Hisdesat.
The project, more than 40 per cent of which is being developed by Spanish industry, is led by a consortium including Airbus D&S and Thales Alenia Space.
The programme is set to create more than 500 skilled jobs during its development phase and will maintain more than 100 engineers per year during its 15-year operational life.
The satellite system will remain in service until 2037 and meets NATO's requirements for alliance communications in its missions and deployments.
It is also part of the EU's GOVSATCOM programme, offering communication to Spanish government entities as well as allies and friendly countries with bilateral agreements.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Local France
a day ago
- Local France
Not just Ikea: where you can buy furniture in France
Although Ikea does of course exist in France if you like flat-pack furniture and a cheeky cinnamon bun, there are other options for you to peruse. Maisons du Monde French-owned furniture store Maisons du Monde is a decent option, if you're looking for solid, non-flatpack furniture in a range of different designs. It offers vintage, exotic, classic chic, seaside, modern, country, and industrial styles for whatever type of look you're going for. Be aware that not all products on their website are sold by Maisons du Monde itself and different providers offer different quality. Look for the Maisons du Monde brand to ensure the quality. La Redoute The one-time mail-order homewear catalogue company has transformed over the decades into one of France's leading and well-respected furniture brands. It promises a range of stylish and well-put-together furniture at a price that's not out of reach for many people. And it does clothing, too. Advertisement AM/PM Look out, too, for AM/PM furniture stores, which has stores in major cities across the country and is owned by La Redoute. Think stylish and contemporary. But also premium – it's a touch more expensive than its parent business. Roche Bobois For high-end furniture, this luxury Paris-based store is for you. It works with well-known designers and cultural icons (it recently collaborated with Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar) and has a very distinct and sophisticated style. A go-to for anyone looking for something a bit special, and with the funds to pay for it. Alinea Founded in Avignon in 1989, and committed to sustainable and responsible home decoration, Alinea draws its inspiration from the landscapes of its southern birthplace. So, expect things to be a bit more relaxed in style. Habitat From 1960s London to 21st-century France, via liquidation and rebirth. In March this year, a boutique reopened in Paris. By the end of 2025, Habitat will offer its products on the shelves of several 'partner' stores as part of a slow relaunch. It has an online presence, now, so you could Conran your crib from anywhere in France, if you so desire. Conforama This is probably the French equivalent of Ikea, selling mostly flat-pack furniture but also things like sofas and electrical items for a reasonable price. It represents 16 percent of the French market (just behind Ikea on 19 percent and ahead of But on 13 percent) and has stores in most French towns. It offers a delivery service and some stores will also hire out their own vans, at a discount price, between the hours of 12 and 2pm (when drivers are taking their lunch break), so you can take larger items home. But Very similar to Conforama is But which also has a presence in most French towns, usually on the large trading estates on the outskirts. It too sells mostly flatpack furniture at reasonable prices. Advertisement Ikea We know that this article is about alternatives to Ikea, but it does exist as a furniture option in France and offers a good range of affordable furniture and household items. In larger cities the brand is rolling out city centre stores - these allow you to browse all the items, sit on the sofas, test out the desk chairs etc, but they don't actually have a huge warehouse of beds, sofas etc. Instead you pick what you want and then order it online for delivery. The stores themselves still have smaller items to buy though, such as mirrors, picture frames, kitchen utensils and of course 100-pack bags of small candles. The bigger Ikea stores on the outskirts of town allow you to buy large items to take home in your car, although they too have a delivery option. Advertisement JYSK JYSK is similar to Ikea in terms of affordability and Scandinavian roots, so expect lots of natural wood and neutral tones. It has a few dozen stores in France, mostly in the northern half of the country, but it is expanding into the south. You can find clean and unfussy furniture here to fill every room of the house from the bedroom and the dining room to the lounge and even the home office. Kave Home Kave Home is a Spanish company with stores in France. The style is generally Mediterranean with a touch of Nordic and mostly solid wood products. They sell everything from sofas and chairs to dining tables, beds, lighting and home decor. Leroy Merlin Leroy Merlin is better known for home improvements, selling everything from tools and lighting to wall paint and tiles – but they do sell no-fuss mostly bedroom, office and outdoor furniture. You won't find most of the furniture in store, however so will have to rely on online photos and reviews. Check out, too, other DIY outlets like Mr Bricolage. There will be one on the outskirts of most reasonably sized towns. Advertisement Selection M An online store that sells everything from dishware to antique furniture. It's not cheap, but if you have the money and a thing for what those in the know term 'slow deco', and what everyone else might call 'timeless', this might be the place for you. White goods Furniture stores such as Conforama and But also sell the usual array of household electricals and white goods, like fridges, freezers and cookers. You could also seek out a Boulanger store, or a Darty. Or a fnac, or a CDiscount. All have online stores, and deliver. Products bought from any one of these will have the advantage, too, of coming with the right plug for your French home. Local furniture stores The furniture stores listed above may offer good choices and have websites that you can easily browse for products, but don't underestimate the possibility of finding what you need from local magasins de meubles (furniture stores) – which range from the monstrous BHV Marais in Paris to a family owned store in a small town. Many cities in France have furniture warehouses on the outskirts, so it's worth seeking them out. For white goods, watch out for discount outlets, sometimes called 'entrepots'. Second-hand furniture The pre-loved furniture market is very much a thing in France – just ask the people behind Selection M. But you could find bargains aplenty online, by looking at well-known classifieds website leboncoin , for example. But also consider looking out your nearest Emmaus store, where donated goods are sold for charity, or any one of the 'troc' outlets. Then there's brocantes , which sell second-hand/vintage/antique items. There are some brocante stores but also regular market-style events in towns and cities across France that offer a huge range of items from real junk to genuine bargains on old furniture. Vide grenier are more like car-boot sales/yard sales are tend to offer smaller items and not much furniture, but you may also see signs locally for a vide maison or house clearance, which may have some bargains. READ ALSO : Vide grenier and brocante: The written and unwritten rules of France's second-hand sales✎
Euronews
2 days ago
- Euronews
The UK's weak economic growth and Brexit: Is the worst over?
Nine years after the vote on Brexit, the latest UK economic indicators send a strong message about an ailing economy that is yet to emerge from the shadows of the 'leave' vote. According to experts, some of the negative impacts of Brexit will endure. GDP has been contracting for two consecutive months, coupled with rising inflation and unemployment, and accompanied by a highly uncertain geopolitical environment and trade wars. UK GDP grew by 0.7% quarter-on-quarter in the first three months of 2025, but monthly data shows that the output contracted 0.1% in May after a 0.3% decline in April. According to S&P Global Ratings, these figures put the economy on course for 0.1% GDP growth in the second quarter, if there is no growth in June. Inflation increased to 3.6% in June — up from 3.4% in May and slightly ahead of expectations. This ties the hands of the Bank of England, which is aiming for a 2% inflation target before it lowers the benchmark rate, currently sitting at 4.25%. These weak datasets indicate that the UK has 'little spare capacity to grow,' Marion Amiot, Chief UK Economist at S&P Global Ratings, told Euronews Business. Some hope that the UK will be able to boost its GDP through exports, supported by trade agreements, including the latest with the US. However, exports alone might not be enough to fix a fundamental problem: the UK is contending with cripplingly low productivity. According to Amiot, productivity woes partially stem from Brexit. 'It has contributed to reducing the UK's labour supply and pulled the brakes on investment on the back of uncertainty in the years following the referendum,' she said. She added that sluggishness in the key financial services sector has also been playing a role: 'Productivity growth in the UK has been particularly weak since the Great Financial Crisis, especially in the financial sector.' UK labour statistics are also signalling a difficult path ahead for the economy. The number of job vacancies has been falling since April 2022. Unemployment in the country has been on the rise since August 2024, and sat at 4.7% in May, the highest level in four years. As poor productivity limits wage growth, this is expected to slow inflation. 'Wage growth has slowed, and unemployment has risen again. For the Bank of England, this is a sign of growing slack in the labour market, which is likely to ease inflationary pressures, and means it can cut rates sooner rather than later,' said Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at Hargreaves Lansdown. Job vacancies have also been falling due to higher costs, partially attributed to the UK government's decision to increase national insurance contributions, a cost that employers pay for every person on the payroll. What Brexit really cost the UK Nine years after the referendum, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) assessed the economic impact of Brexit. Researchers came to the conclusion that — since 2020 — withdrawal from the EU has led to reduced productivity, lowering GDP by 4%, and trade by about 15%, in both goods and services, compared to a 'remain scenario'. Brexit has also had a sizeable impact on shrinking investments. According to John Springford, an associate fellow at the London-based think-tank Centre for European Reform, Brexit has cost the state £40 billion (€46.1bn) since 2019. 'The 2019-2024 parliament raised taxes by around £100 billion, and if we take the OBR's 4% loss of productivity to be the true figure, £40 billion of those tax rises were needed because of EU withdrawal,' he wrote in a recent study. Is the worst over? 'Brexit is going to have a long-term impact on UK growth beyond the initial fallout seen in trade,' said Amiot, adding that 'with a smaller pool of workers and weaker competition leading to lower productivity, the capacity of the UK to grow will remain durably lower'. She clarified: 'That being said, most of the large impacts are likely behind us.' The years following Brexit came with an increased uncertainty for businesses, and left a sizeable impact on investment, which stagnated for five years, before it returned to growth. Investment is now rising again and has surpassed its pre-Brexit referendum levels. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), gross fixed capital formation (GFCF) and business investment both increased to record levels in the first quarter of 2025. Trade with the EU also struggled, but that could have been partially attributed to a range of other factors, including the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the global slowdown of trade in goods. 'Although much of the initial economic disruption has likely faded as firms adjusted, Brexit still appears to be weighing on export levels and GDP,' Andrew Hunter, Associate Director at Moody's Analytics, told Euronews Business. He added that goods exports to the EU are still 16% lower in real terms, compared to the end of 2019 (before the pandemic and before the UK began leaving the EU). 'And goods exports to non-EU countries have actually performed even worse,' Hunter said. He added that the UK has significantly lagged behind other advanced economies in this respect, due to a 'broader hit to the export sector from Brexit-related trade barriers (with many firms choosing to stop exporting altogether due to the added costs and paperwork).' Many hope the recent trade deal with the US will improve the economy by attracting investment into the country. And the US-UK trade deal provides relief for certain industries in particular. While the EU is finalising its potential countermeasures, including a tariff on US aircraft imports, almost certain to attract a retaliation, the UK has secured free trade for its aerospace sector. Yet, experts are sceptical about the overall contribution of the trade deal to the UK economy. S&P Global Ratings estimates 'that US tariffs are going to represent a direct drag on UK GDP of around 0.1 percentage point this year and next,' partly due to weaker global demand. And other trade deals are also unlikely to boost exports too much. 'The UK government's recent 'reset' deal with the EU has eased some trade barriers, particularly for food and agriculture, but further progress is expected to be slow,' said Hunter, adding that he doesn't expect a strong export rebound in light of global trade uncertainty. According to Springford, Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) signed since Brexit have had a very limited impact. 'The macroeconomic benefit of the new FTAs the UK has signed is very small, only offsetting the 4% loss from Brexit by about 0.2%. Even if a full FTA were signed with the US, that would rise to about 0.35%.' A clouded UK economic outlook In the short term, the currently ailing economic output has been fuelling expectations that the government will have to make up for the missing tax revenue by hiking tax rates in the second half of the year, further constricting GDP growth. In the long run, experts agree that the UK's growth will be slower than if it had stayed in the EU. This is due to the fact that the structural changes associated with losing access to the EU market have meant that the UK is missing out on workers, investment and trade opportunities. Looking ahead, the primary source of uncertainty and risk remains productivity, according to the Chief UK Economist at S&P Global Ratings. 'While most forecasts anticipate a rebound in productivity that could support stronger growth, the outlook is clouded by uncertainty around the implementation of government growth policies and the pace at which AI technologies will be adopted,' Amiot said.
France 24
2 days ago
- France 24
Asian markets turn lower as trade war rally fades
With Japan's trade deal with Washington out of the way for now, attention was also turning to European Union attempts to reach an agreement to pare down Donald Trump's threatened tariffs before next Friday's deadline. Equities have enjoyed a strong run-up for much of July on expectations governments will hammer out pacts, pushing some markets past or close to record highs. However, while Wall Street hit new records Thursday -- S&P 500 chalked up its 10th in 19 sessions -- another round of strong jobs data suggested the Federal Reserve might have to wait longer than hoped to cut borrowing costs. The 217,000 initial claims for unemployment benefits in the week to July 19 was the lowest since mid-April and suggested the labour market remains tight. The figures followed forecast-topping non-farm payrolls in June and come as inflation shows signs of picking up as Trump's tariffs begin to bite. Traders are now betting on 42 basis points of rate cuts by the end of the year, according to Bloomberg News. That's down from more than 50 previously. Meanwhile, a manufacturing survey showed US business confidence deteriorated in July for the second successive month, with companies worried about tariffs and cuts to federal spending. Trump continued to press Fed chief Jerome Powell to slash interest rates during a visit to its headquarters on Thursday, where they bickered over its renovation cost. The president, who wants to oust Powell over his refusal to cut, took a fresh dig during the trip, telling reporters: "As good as we're doing, we'd do better if we had lower interest rates." Trump's anger at the Fed and his calls for officials to lower rates has raised concerns about the independence of the central bank. "While unlikely to yield anything concrete, the optics of a president storming the temple of monetary orthodoxy is enough to put Powell watchers on edge," said SPI Asset Management's Stephen Innes. "The risk isn't immediate policy change -- it's longer-term erosion of independence, and the signal that Powell may not be sitting as comfortably as markets assume." Trade hopes remain elevated, with Brussels and Washington appearing close to a deal that would halve Trump's threatened 30 percent levy, with a European Commission spokesman saying he believed an agreement was "within reach". The bloc, however, is still forging ahead with contingency plans in case talks fail, with member states approving a 93-billion-euro ($109-billion) package of counter-tariffs. With few positive catalysts to drive buying, Asian markets turned lower heading into the weekend. Tokyo dipped after putting on around five percent in the previous two days, while Hong Kong retreated following five days of gains. There were also losses in Shanghai, Sydney, Singapore, Manila and Jakarta. Seoul and Wellington edged up. The dollar extended gains against its peers as investors pared their rate forecasts. Key figures at around 0230 GMT Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.6 percent at 41,570.24 (break) Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.7 percent at 25,487.95 Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.2 percent at 3,597.77 Dollar/yen: UP at 147.40 yen from 146.94 yen on Thursday Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1742 from $1.1756 Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3498 from $1.3507 Euro/pound: DOWN at 86.99 pence from 87.01 pence
