September 1992. The same year that the Universal Exposition put Seville on the international map and the Olympic Games did the same with Barcelona, the name of Spain was also written on the select list of countries that own a satellite system through of a kind of Perte, as it would be called today, which became a project for the country. This marks the 30th anniversary of the launch of Hispasat 1A from French Guiana, a period in which our country has achieved significant improvements in connectivity and communications in general and with which it aspires to become much more, looking to the future of communications and defense.
But for this step to take place, the history of satellites in Spain began years before. Specifically, it goes back to the decade of the 80s, when the problems that, until then, arose both in the field of advertising and in the need to promote the technical development of, among other things, television by satelite. More if possible, after knowing that during 1992 all the world television cameras would point to Spain as a result of the celebration of the Expo in Seville and the Olympic Games in Barcelona.
Against this background, on April 7, 1989, the so-called Hispasat Program was approved after a feasibility study commissioned by the Ministry of Transport, Tourism and Communications to INTA, RTVE and Telefónica. Just a few months later, the company was established with a share capital of 20,000 million pesetas, which would be equivalent to around 275 million euros today. The company was divided into two equal parts (25% each) for Telefónica and Retevisión, respectively; 22.5% was in the hands of the Post Office; another 15% was from INTA; 10%, from INI; and the remaining 2.5%, from the Center for Technological and Industrial Development.
It would not be until January 1990 when the contract for the construction of the first Spanish system of communications satellites would be signed. This was awarded to Matra for 25,557 million pesetas (about 352 million euros) and included the manufacture of a package of three satellites, including the Hispasat A1, which is now 30 years old. Just a few weeks later, in February of that same year, Arianespace was awarded the launch of the first two that would finally take place in September 1992, when all eyes were on Spain for the Expo and the Olympic Games. .
With this context as a background, and Josep Borrell in the Ministry of Public Works, the first email was also sent between offices of the ministry itself. This step, along with many others, led Hispasat to be today the fourth European satellite company and the sixth worldwide.
There are still steps to be taken, some as important as the Caramuel project, in which Hispasat, together with BBVA, Santander and Telefónica, among others and up to a total of 19 large companies, are studying launching the first satellite mission in geostationary orbit for the distribution of quantum keys, keys for the world of cybersecurity. The study project, which began in May, is expected to culminate this October with a preliminary definition of the quantum key distribution system and, specifically, its end-to-end architecture, which has as a priority its integration with the quantum network. terrestrial and the analysis of real use cases with the banking sector and with terrestrial operators.
As of today, the company has nine satellites in orbit located in six positions that connect the continents of Europe, America and North Africa, key to development.
For all these reasons, Hispasat continues to lay the foundations for the future of security and defense, which is going to be played in space and where the Spanish industry has assured its participation in this process thanks to the race that began 30 years ago. years with the launch of Hispasat 1A into orbit.
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