SES S.A. is a Luxembourgish
communications satellite
A communications satellite is an artificial satellite that relays and amplifies radio telecommunication signals via a Transponder (satellite communications), transponder; it creates a communication channel between a source transmitter and a Rad ...
operator supplying video and data connectivity worldwide to broadcasters, content and internet service providers, mobile and fixed network operators, governments and institutions.
[''ACCELERATING BEYOND FRONTIERS''](_blank)
SES Company Brochure. October 2017. Accessed 30 March 2018
SES owns and operate over 70 satellites in two different orbits:
geostationary orbit
A geostationary orbit, also referred to as a geosynchronous equatorial orbit''Geostationary orbit'' and ''Geosynchronous (equatorial) orbit'' are used somewhat interchangeably in sources. (GEO), is a circular orbit, circular geosynchronous or ...
(GEO) and
medium Earth orbit
A medium Earth orbit (MEO) is an geocentric orbit, Earth-centered orbit with an altitude above a low Earth orbit (LEO) and below a high Earth orbit (HEO) – between above sea level. (MEO). These include European
Astra
Astra (Latin for "stars") may refer to:
People
* Astra (name)
Places
* Astra, Chubut, a village in Argentina
* Astra (Isauria), a town of ancient Isauria, now in Turkey
* Astra, one suggested name for a hypothetical fifth planet that became t ...
TV satellites, the
O3b
O3b is a satellite constellation in Medium Earth orbit (MEO) owned and operated by SES, and designed to provide lower-latency broadband connectivity to remote locations for mobile network operators and internet service providers, maritime, av ...
and
O3b mPOWER
O3b mPOWER is a communications satellite system owned and operated by SES. The system uses high-throughput and low- latency satellites in a medium Earth orbit (MEO), along with ground infrastructure and intelligent software, to provide multip ...
data satellites and others with names including
AMC
AMC may refer to:
Film and television
* AMC Theatres, an American movie theater chain
* AMC Networks, an American entertainment company
** AMC (TV channel)
** AMC+, streaming service
** AMC Networks International, an entertainment company
*** ...
,
Ciel,
NSS,
Quetzsat,
YahSat
Al Yah Satellite Communications Company P.J.S.C. (Yahsat) is a public company listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) and a subsidiary of Mubadala Investment Company PJSC, offering multi-mission satellite services in more than 150 count ...
and
SES.
In April 2024, SES announced the acquisition of satellite services provider,
Intelsat
Intelsat S.A. (formerly Intel-Sat, Intelsat) is a Luxembourgish-American multinational satellite services provider with corporate headquarters in Luxembourg and administrative headquarters in Tysons, Virginia, United States. Originally formed ...
to create a more competitive multi-orbit satellite operator. The transaction is expected to complete regulatory approvals in 2025.
[''The Intelsat–SES merger is a milestone for the satcom industry''](_blank)
Analysys Mason. 9 May 2024. Accessed 21 May 2024 The acquisition was first cleared by the UK
Competition and Markets Authority
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is the principal competition regulator in the United Kingdom. It is a non-ministerial government department in the United Kingdom, responsible for promoting competitive markets and tackling unfair beh ...
in May 2025.
[''CMA clears SES/Intelsat merger'']
Advanced Television 29 May 2025. Accessed 1 June 2025
Based in
Betzdorf, Luxembourg
Betzdorf (; ) is a commune and town in the canton of Grevenmacher, in eastern Luxembourg.
, the town of Betzdorf, which lies in the north-east of the commune, has a population of 288 inhabitants. Other settlements within the commune include the ...
, and founded in 1985 as ''Société Européenne des Satellites'', the company was renamed SES Global in 2001 and has been simply "SES" since 2006. The company's stock is listed on the
Luxembourg Stock Exchange
The Luxembourg Stock Exchange, LuxSE () is based in Luxembourg City at 35A boulevard Joseph II.
The chairman of the board is Alain Kinsch and the chief executive officer is Julie Becker.
History
A law establishing a stock exchange in Luxemb ...
and
Euronext Paris
Euronext Paris, formerly known as the Paris Bourse (), is a regulated securities trading venue in France. It is Europe's second largest stock exchange by market capitalization, behind the London Stock Exchange, as of December 2023. As of 2022, th ...
with the
ticker symbol
A ticker symbol or stock symbol is an abbreviation used to uniquely identify publicly traded Share (finance), shares of a particular stock or Security (finance), security on a particular stock exchange. Ticker symbols are arrangements of symbols ...
SESG and is a component of the
LuxX,
CAC Next 20
The CAC Next 20 is an index of security prices used with the Euronext Paris or Euronext Amsterdam. It gathers the 20 companies whose market capitalizations are ranked after those of the 40 companies who compose the CAC 40. These 20 are possible ...
and
Euronext 100
The Euronext 100 Index is a stock market index
In finance, a stock index, or stock market index, is an Index (economics), index that measures the performance of a stock market, or of a subset of a stock market. It helps investors compare cu ...
stock market index
In finance, a stock index, or stock market index, is an Index (economics), index that measures the performance of a stock market, or of a subset of a stock market. It helps investors compare current stock price levels with past prices to calcul ...
es.
A book, ''High Above'', telling the story of the founding of SES and the development of its first
Astra satellites
Astra (Latin for "stars") may refer to:
People
* Astra (name)
Places
* Astra, Chubut, a village in Argentina
* Astra (Isauria), a town of ancient Isauria, now in Turkey
* Astra, one suggested name for a hypothetical fifth planet (hypothetical), ...
was published in 2010 to mark the company's 25th Anniversary, and was followed by ''Even Higher'' in 2012 and ''Beyond Frontiers'' in 2016.
History
Early years
SES was formed on the initiative and support of the
Luxembourg
Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...
ish government in 1985 as ''Société Européenne des Satellites'' (SES). The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg remains a major
shareholder
A shareholder (in the United States often referred to as stockholder) of corporate stock refers to an individual or legal entity (such as another corporation, a body politic, a trust or partnership) that is registered by the corporation as the ...
. In December 1988, as Europe's first private satellite operator, SES launched its first satellite,
Astra 1A
Astra 1A was the first satellite launched and operated by SES (Société Européenne des Satellites), launched in December 1988. During its early days, it was often referred to as the Astra Satellite, as SES only operated one satellite origi ...
, to the
19.2° East orbital position.
Rupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch ( ; born 11 March 1931) is an Australian - American retired business magnate, investor, and media mogul. Through his company News Corp, he is the owner of hundreds of List of assets owned by News Corp, local, national, a ...
's
Sky TV, along with German broadcasters
Pro7
ProSieben (, ''sieben'' is German for "seven"; often stylized as Pro7) is a German free-to-air television network owned by ProSiebenSat.1 Media.
It was launched on 1 January 1989. It is Germany's second-largest privately owned television company ...
,
Sat.1
Sat.1 () is a German free-to-air television channel that is a part of the ProSiebenSat.1 Media Group.
It is considered the first privately owned television network in Germany, having been launched in January 1984 as ''PKS'' ''(Programmgesell ...
, and
RTL
RTL may refer to:
Media
* RTL Group, a European TV, radio, and production company
*** List of RTL Group's television stations (including part-owned channels)
*** List of RTL Group's radio stations
** RTL Lëtzebuerg, usually referred to simply a ...
were among Astra's first major customers.
[
By 1990, Astra was broadcasting to 14 million cable and DTH (Direct to Home) viewers. SES was the pioneer of 'co-location' by which several satellites share the same orbital position to provide mutual backup and increase the number of channels available to a fixed receiving dish, creating what became known as a 'satellite neighbourhood'. Astra's prime slot, 19.2° East, saw as many as eight satellites sharing the position simultaneously and helped to build up Astra's reputation for reliability.][
Rapid growth in ]Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
, in what would become Astra's largest European market, was helped by the German government's decision to liberalize the installation of dishes in 1991. In this time SES became the leading satellite system providing direct-to-home transmission, and became the world's largest satellite platform for TV distribution.
In 1996, after the launch of Astra 1E
Astra 1E is one of the Astra communications satellites in geostationary orbit owned and operated by SES. It was launched in October 1995 to the Astra 19.2°E orbital slot initially to provide digital television and radio for direct-to-home ( ...
, SES pioneered digital satellite transmission with the French Canal+
Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flo ...
. In 1998, SES launched Astra 2A
Astra 2A is one of the Astra communications satellites owned by SES. Launched in 1998 into the 28.2° East orbital position, half its expected end-of-life capacity of 28 transponders were pre-booked by BSkyB, who utilised it to launch their ne ...
for the UK market, transmitting at the new orbital position 28.2° East, and eventually moving all of its United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
and Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
transmission capacity to this orbital slot. In the same year, SES went public on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange trading as SESG (in 2005 SES would also list on the Paris Euronext).
Global expansion
From 1999, SES began a period of ambitious global expansion beyond its European home market. Geographic expansion went hand-in-hand with the diversification of SES' services beyond just TV broadcasting, to cover telecommunication services for businesses, telecommunications companies and government customers, as well as broadband access and technical consultancy services.
In 1999, SES acquired a 34.13% stake in Hong Kong-based satellite operator AsiaSat
Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company Limited (AsiaSat) is a Hong Kong–based commercial operator of communications satellites founded in 1988. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Asia Satellite Telecommunications Holdings Limited (AsiaSat ...
and took a foothold in Asia and the Pacific region.[
In 2000, SES acquired 50% of Scandinavian satellite broadcaster Nordic Satellite AB (NSAB), later renamed SES Sirius, which strengthened SES' coverage in northern and eastern Europe. The same year, SES also took a participation of 19.99% in Brazilian satellite operator ]Star One
Star One was an Indian pay television channel based in Mumbai and owned by Star TV, with worldwide distribution handled by Fox International Channels. Launched on 1 November 2004, Star One was launched in the UK on Sky in November 2006.
Sta ...
, gaining a first presence in Latin America
Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...
.
In 2001, SES bought 28.75% of Argentina's Nahuelsat and acquired GE Americom
SES Americom was a major commercial communications satellite, satellite operator of North American geosynchronous satellites based in the United States. The company started as RCA Americom in 1975 before being bought by General Electric in 1986 ...
, giving it a solid presence in the important North American market. This resulted in the formation of SES Global, a corporate entity with two operating companies, SES Astra
SES Astra SA was a corporate subsidiary of SES, based in Betzdorf, in eastern Luxembourg, that maintained and operated the Astra series of geostationary communication satellites between 2001 and 2011.
Formed in 1985 as Société Européenne ...
and SES Americom
SES Americom was a major commercial satellite operator of North American geosynchronous satellites based in the United States. The company started as RCA Americom in 1975 before being bought by General Electric in 1986 and then later acquired ...
. Altogether, SES operated a fleet of 41 geostationary satellites, the largest in the world in 2001.
In 2003, SES' stake in NSAB was increased to 75%.
In 2005, SES acquired a participation in Canadian satellite operator Ciel and in Mexico's Quetzsat, as well as the divestment from Nahuelsat.
SES acquired services provider, Digital Playout Centre GmbH (later Astra Platform Services, then SES Platform Services
SES Platform Services GmbH (previously ASTRA Platform Services GmbH, later MX1, now part of SES Video) was a subsidiary company of SES (owner and operator of the Astra satellites) based in Betzdorf, Luxembourg. From its headquarters in Unterf ...
, then MX1, now merged into SES) in 2005.[
In 2006, SES acquired ND SatCom, a German provider of government services, developing a services portfolio beyond just bandwidth provision.
Also in 2006, SES acquired ]New Skies Satellites
SES World Skies was a short lived company formed as a result of the merger between the two SES subsidiaries, ''SES Americom'' and ''SES New Skies''. The company was merged into its parent company, SES in 2011.
History
SES Americom
SES ...
, later renamed SES New Skies, adding six satellites to the SES fleet and strengthening coverage in Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
In 2007, SES divested from its holdings in AsiaSat
Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company Limited (AsiaSat) is a Hong Kong–based commercial operator of communications satellites founded in 1988. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Asia Satellite Telecommunications Holdings Limited (AsiaSat ...
and Star One
Star One was an Indian pay television channel based in Mumbai and owned by Star TV, with worldwide distribution handled by Fox International Channels. Launched on 1 November 2004, Star One was launched in the UK on Sky in November 2006.
Sta ...
in a complex transaction with General Electric
General Electric Company (GE) was an American Multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in 1892, incorporated in the New York (state), state of New York and headquartered in Boston.
Over the year ...
which itself divested from SES.
In 2008, SES increased its stake in NSAB to 90%. and merged its two international operating units, SES Americom and SES New Skies into a new segment which was branded SES World Skies
SES World Skies was a short lived company formed as a result of the merger between the two SES subsidiaries, ''SES Americom'' and ''SES New Skies''. The company was merged into its parent company, SES in 2011.
History
SES Americom
SES ...
in September 2009.
In 2009, SES and Middle East satellite operator Yahsat
Al Yah Satellite Communications Company P.J.S.C. (Yahsat) is a public company listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) and a subsidiary of Mubadala Investment Company PJSC, offering multi-mission satellite services in more than 150 count ...
announced the formation of a joint venture, YahLive, to commercialise 23 Ku-band transponders on Yahsat 1A, serving the Middle East, North Africa and Western Asia
West Asia (also called Western Asia or Southwest Asia) is the westernmost region of Asia. As defined by most academics, UN bodies and other institutions, the subregion consists of Anatolia, the Arabian Peninsula, Iran, Mesopotamia, the Armenian ...
with direct-to-home TV services.
Also in 2009, SES announced its investment in O3b Networks
O3b Networks Ltd. was a network communications service provider building and operating a medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellite constellation primarily intended to provide voice and data communications to mobile operators and Internet service prov ...
a project to build a medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellite constellation to deliver high-speed, low-latency, fibre-like internet broadband trunking to the world's emerging regions ("the Other 3 billion").
In 2010, SES grew its stake in SES Sirius to 100% and closed the acquisition of the in-orbit satellite Protostar-2/Indostar-2, renaming it SES-7
SES-7 (also formerly known as ProtoStar-2 / Indostar-2) is a commercial communications satellite operated by SES World Skies (now SES).
Spacecraft
ProtoStar-2 is a geosynchronous communications satellite built by Boeing. It is a BSS-601HP s ...
and integrating it into its fleet covering India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
and Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...
.
In May and September 2011, SES restructured and rebranded the company to streamline the organisation's activities under a single management team and one main brand (SES), incorporating the company's two previous operating entities, SES Astra
SES Astra SA was a corporate subsidiary of SES, based in Betzdorf, in eastern Luxembourg, that maintained and operated the Astra series of geostationary communication satellites between 2001 and 2011.
Formed in 1985 as Société Européenne ...
and SES World Skies
SES World Skies was a short lived company formed as a result of the merger between the two SES subsidiaries, ''SES Americom'' and ''SES New Skies''. The company was merged into its parent company, SES in 2011.
History
SES Americom
SES ...
.
Global operator
In August 2011, the Astra 1N
Astra 1N is one of the Astra communications satellites owned and operated by SES and is positioned at the Astra 19.2°E orbital position. It was launched in 2011 and is the fourth satellite to be built for Astra by Astrium (now Airbus Defen ...
satellite was launched to the 28.2° East orbital position, and in September 2011, the QuetzSat 1 satellite was launched to 77.0° West[QuetzSat-1 successfully launched – ILS](_blank)
QuetzSat-1 successfully launched at Baikonur cosmodrome
The Baikonur Cosmodrome is a spaceport operated by Russia within Kazakhstan. Located in the Kazakh city of Baikonur, it is the largest operational space launch facility in terms of area. All Russian Human spaceflight, crewed spaceflights are l ...
, ILS – 29 September 2011.
In February 2012, SES-4 was successfully launched to become SES' 50th satellite and the largest, heaviest and most powerful in the fleet. In July 2012, SES-5
SES-5 (also known as Astra 4B and Sirius 5) is a commercial geostationary communication satellite operated by SES It was launched on 9 July 2012. The launch was arranged by International Launch Services (ILS).
History
In October 2008, SE ...
, the 51st SES Satellite was launched from Baikonur, Kazakhstan to 5.0° East with 36 Ku-band
The Ku band () is the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum in the microwave range of frequencies from 12 to 18 gigahertz (GHz). The symbol is short for "K-under" (originally ), because it is the lower part of the original NATO K band ...
transponders to provide coverage over Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa is the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lie south of the Sahara. These include Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, and West Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the list of sovereign states and ...
and the Nordic
Nordic most commonly refers to:
* Nordic countries, the northern European countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, and their North Atlantic territories
* Scandinavia, a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern ...
and the Baltic region
The Baltic Sea Region, alternatively the Baltic Rim countries (or simply the Baltic Rim), and the Baltic Sea countries/states, refers to the general area surrounding the Baltic Sea, including parts of Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. Un ...
s in Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
, and 28 C-band C band may refer to:
* C band (IEEE), a radio frequency band from 4 to 8 GHz
* C band (infrared), an infrared band from 1530 to 1565 nm (roughly 200 THz)
* C band (NATO)
The NATO C-band is the obsolete designation given to the radio frequen ...
transponders for Europe, Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...
and the Middle East
The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq.
The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...
.
In September 2012, Astra 2F
Astra 2F is one of the Astra communications satellites owned and operated by SES S.A., launched in September 2012 to the Astra 28.2°E orbital position. The satellite provides free-to-air and encrypted direct-to-home (DTH) digital televisio ...
was successfully launched from Kourou
Kourou (; ) is a commune in French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France in South America. Kourou is famous for being the location of the Guiana Space Centre, the main spaceport of France and the European Space Agency (ESA). It ...
in French Guiana
French Guiana, or Guyane in French, is an Overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France located on the northern coast of South America in the Guianas and the West Indies. Bordered by Suriname to the west ...
, the first of three "next generation" satellites at the second Astra orbital position at 28.2° East. The satellite has Ku-band coverage of all Europe, the British Isles
The British Isles are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner Hebrides, Inner and Outer Hebr ...
and sub-Saharan Africa for DTH television, and Ka-band
The Ka band (pronounced as either "kay-ay band" or "ka band") is a portion of the microwave part of the electromagnetic spectrum. The designation "Ka-band" is from Kurz-above, which stems from the German word ''kurz,'' meaning "short".
There ...
coverage of Central Europe
Central Europe is a geographical region of Europe between Eastern Europe, Eastern, Southern Europe, Southern, Western Europe, Western and Northern Europe, Northern Europe. Central Europe is known for its cultural diversity; however, countries in ...
for the SES Broadband
SES Broadband (previously ASTRA2Connect) is a two-way satellite broadband Internet service available across Europe, which launched in March 2007, and uses the Astra series of geostationary satellites.
SES Broadband is owned and operated by SES ...
satellite internet service.
SES-6
SES-6 is a commercial geostationary communication satellite owned and operated by SES
Launch
Constructed by EADS Astrium, it was launched on 3 June 2013 at 09:18:31 UTC from Baikonour by Proton-M / Briz-M launch vehicle and carries 43 C-ban ...
was launched from Baikonur
Baikonur ( ; ) is a city in Kazakhstan on the northern bank of the Syr Darya river. It is currently leased and administered by the Russian Federation as an enclave until 2050. It was constructed to serve the Baikonur Cosmodrome with adminis ...
, Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...
, on 3 June 2013 to 40.5° East, to replace NSS-806 and provide continuity of service and expansion capacity in C-band for Latin America
Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...
and the Caribbean
The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...
. The satellite has 43 C-band and 48 Ku-band transponders with comprehensive coverage of North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...
, Latin America, Europe and the Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...
.
Astra 2E was launched to the Astra 28.2° East position from Baikonur
Baikonur ( ; ) is a city in Kazakhstan on the northern bank of the Syr Darya river. It is currently leased and administered by the Russian Federation as an enclave until 2050. It was constructed to serve the Baikonur Cosmodrome with adminis ...
in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...
on 30 September 2013 to provide free-to-air
Free-to-air (FTA) services are television (TV) and radio services broadcast in unencrypted form, allowing any person with the appropriate receiving equipment to receive the signal and view or listen to the content without requiring a subscri ...
and encrypted DTH digital TV and satellite broadband services for Europe and the Middle East. The successful launch followed a 10-week delay due to the postponement of all launches by launch services provider ILS after a catastrophic failure of the rocket in a previous launch.
In December 2013, SES-8
SES-8 is a geostationary Communications satellite operated by SES SES-8 was successfully launched on SpaceX Falcon 9 v1.1 on 3 December 2013, 22:41:00 UTC.
It was the first flight of any SpaceX launch vehicle to a supersynchronous transfer ...
was launched from Cape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral () is a cape (geography), cape in Brevard County, Florida, in the United States, near the center of the state's Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. Officially Cape Kennedy from 1963 to 1973, it lies east of Merritt Island, separated ...
using a SpaceX
Space Exploration Technologies Corp., commonly referred to as SpaceX, is an America, American space technology company headquartered at the SpaceX Starbase, Starbase development site in Starbase, Texas. Since its founding in 2002, the compa ...
Falcon 9 v1.1, the first geostationary satellite to be launched with a SpaceX rocket.
In March 2014, Astra 5B was launched as SES' 56th satellite to the Astra 31.5° East position from Kourou
Kourou (; ) is a commune in French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France in South America. Kourou is famous for being the location of the Guiana Space Centre, the main spaceport of France and the European Space Agency (ESA). It ...
in French Guiana
French Guiana, or Guyane in French, is an Overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France located on the northern coast of South America in the Guianas and the West Indies. Bordered by Suriname to the west ...
to provide transponder capacity and extend geographical reach over Central and Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is a subregion of the Europe, European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural and socio-economic connotations. Its eastern boundary is marked by the Ural Mountain ...
, Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
and the Commonwealth of Independent States
The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is a regional organization, regional intergovernmental organization in Eurasia. It was formed following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. It covers an ar ...
(CIS) for DTH, direct-to-cable and contribution feeds to digital terrestrial television networks.
In April 2014, Romain Bausch stepped down as president and CEO of SES, a position he had held since 1995 overseeing the growth of the company from a European Direct-to-Home satellite system with four satellites into a global satellite industry leader operating a fleet of more than 50 satellites. Bausch continues to serve SES as a non-executive Director, and is elected to take the role of chairman at the start of 2015. He was succeeded as CEO by Karim Michel Sabbagh.
In May 2014 SES announced that the engineering services division, SES TechCom had joined with the Luxembourg Government and the Minister for Cooperation and Humanitarian Action, and five Non-governmental organisations (NGO) – Archemed, Fondation Follereau, Friendship, German Doctors and Médecins Sans Frontières
(MSF; pronounced ), known in some English-speaking settings as Doctors Without Borders, is a charity that provides humanitarian medical care. It is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) of French origin known for its projects in conflict zo ...
to form Satmed, an eHealth
eHealth describes healthcare services which are supported by digital processes, communication or technology such as electronic prescribing, Telehealth, or Electronic Health Records (EHRs). The term "eHealth" originated in the 1990s, initially c ...
platform to improve public health in emerging and developing countries, especially in remote areas with poor connectivity.
In July 2014, SES announced that nearly half of the SES satellite fleet is controlled from the new satellite operations center (SOC) opened at its sales and engineering offices in Princeton
Princeton University is a private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the Unit ...
, New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
. 23 satellites are controlled from Princeton with the remainder operated from SES's global headquarters in Luxembourg
Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...
.
Astra 2G
Astra 2G is one of the Astra communications satellites owned and operated by SES, launched to the Astra 28.2°E orbital position on 27 December 2014, at 21:37:49 UTC from Baikonur Cosmodrome.
Astra 2G is positioned at 28.5° East (part of t ...
, the final "next generation" satellite for the 28.2° East orbital position was launched from the Baikonur
Baikonur ( ; ) is a city in Kazakhstan on the northern bank of the Syr Darya river. It is currently leased and administered by the Russian Federation as an enclave until 2050. It was constructed to serve the Baikonur Cosmodrome with adminis ...
in December 2014 to deliver broadcast, VSAT
A very-small-aperture terminal (VSAT) is a two-way satellite ground station with a satellite dish, dish antenna that is smaller than 3.8 meters. The majority of VSAT antennas range from 75 cm to 1.2 m. Bit rates, in most cases, range from 4 ...
and broadband services to Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and to connect West Africa
West Africa, also known as Western Africa, is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations geoscheme for Africa#Western Africa, United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Gha ...
to Europe via Ka-band
The Ka band (pronounced as either "kay-ay band" or "ka band") is a portion of the microwave part of the electromagnetic spectrum. The designation "Ka-band" is from Kurz-above, which stems from the German word ''kurz,'' meaning "short".
There ...
.
On 13 January 2015, SES announced that it plans to procure and launch a satellite in partnership with the Luxembourg Government, to be called GovSat-1. Jointly owned, the satellite is launched in 2017 to an orbital position above Europe and provide governmental and military communications in the X-band
The X band is the designation for a band of frequency, frequencies in the microwave radio region of the electromagnetic spectrum. In some cases, such as in communication engineering, the frequency range of the X band is set at approximately 7.0� ...
and Ka-band with coverage of Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific.
In February 2016, it was announced that, subject to regulatory approvals, subsidiary, SES Platform Services
SES Platform Services GmbH (previously ASTRA Platform Services GmbH, later MX1, now part of SES Video) was a subsidiary company of SES (owner and operator of the Astra satellites) based in Betzdorf, Luxembourg. From its headquarters in Unterf ...
would purchase RR Media
RR Media was a NASDAQ listed provider of global digital media services to the broadcast industry and content owners. Its services can be divided into four main groups: global content distribution network (satellite, Optical fiber, fiber and the i ...
, a global digital media services provider to the broadcast and media industries, based in Israel
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
. In July 2016, SES announced that the acquisition was complete and that the merged company would be known as MX1.
In March 2016, the SES-9 satellite was successfully launched by a Falcon 9 Full Thrust
Falcon 9 Full Thrust (also known as Falcon 9 v1.2) is a Reusable launch system#Partial reusable launch systems, partially reusable, two-stage-to-orbit, medium-lift launch vehicle when reused and Heavy-lift launch vehicle when expended designed an ...
rocket from Cape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral () is a cape (geography), cape in Brevard County, Florida, in the United States, near the center of the state's Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. Officially Cape Kennedy from 1963 to 1973, it lies east of Merritt Island, separated ...
after four previous attempts on 24 February, 25 February, 28 February, and 1 March 2016 - all aborted due to weather and launcher problems. The satellite used electric propulsion
Spacecraft electric propulsion (or just electric propulsion) is a type of spacecraft propulsion technique that uses electrostatic or electromagnetic fields to accelerate mass to high speed and thus generating thrust to modify the velocity of a ...
to reach geostationary orbit
A geostationary orbit, also referred to as a geosynchronous equatorial orbit''Geostationary orbit'' and ''Geosynchronous (equatorial) orbit'' are used somewhat interchangeably in sources. (GEO), is a circular orbit, circular geosynchronous or ...
and will be positioned at 108.2° East to provide 81 Ku-band transponder equivalents for pay-TV
Pay television, also known as subscription television, premium television or, when referring to an individual service, a premium channel, refers to subscription-based television services, usually provided by multichannel television providers, b ...
, data and mobility across Northeast Asia
Northeast Asia or Northeastern Asia is a geographical Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia. Its northeastern landmass and islands are bounded by the Pacific Ocean, North Pacific Ocean.
The term Northeast Asia was popularized during the 1930s by Ame ...
and South Asia
South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia that is defined in both geographical and Ethnicity, ethnic-Culture, cultural terms. South Asia, with a population of 2.04 billion, contains a quarter (25%) of the world's populatio ...
, and Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
.
In April 2016, SES announced that (subject to regulatory approvals which are expected to be completed by the end of 2016) it will pay US$20 million to increase its fully diluted ownership of O3b Networks
O3b Networks Ltd. was a network communications service provider building and operating a medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellite constellation primarily intended to provide voice and data communications to mobile operators and Internet service prov ...
from 49.1% to 50.5%, taking a controlling share in the company. In May 2016, SES said it would raise another US$710 million to purchase 100% of O3b Networks, exercising a call option with O3b minority shareholders and eliminating the possibility of an O3b stock offering, and then subsequently announced the completion of the capital raising and completion of the acquisition.
In May 2016, Modern Times Group
Modern Times Group (MTG) is a digital entertainment company based in Stockholm, Sweden. It formed from the media holdings of investment company Investment AB Kinnevik, Kinnevik, which in 1997 was distributed to the company stockholders. It is a ...
, owner of the Viasat Viasat may refer to:
*Viasat (American company) (founded 1986)
** Viasat hack, a cyberattack on the Viasat KA-SAT network that happened in February 2022
*Viasat (Nordic television service)
Viasat is a direct broadcast satellite, satellite and pa ...
DTH platform announced that the Viasat Ultra HD channel would launch in the autumn on the SES-5
SES-5 (also known as Astra 4B and Sirius 5) is a commercial geostationary communication satellite operated by SES It was launched on 9 July 2012. The launch was arranged by International Launch Services (ILS).
History
In October 2008, SE ...
satellite at 5.0° East, as the first UHD
UHD may refer to:
Technology
* Ultra-high-definition television
* Ultra HD, any of several high-definition graphics display resolutions
* USRP hardware driver, used with Universal Software Radio Peripherals
* Ultra HD Blu-ray, an enhanced varian ...
channel for the Nordic region and the first UHD Sports channel in the World. The channel will feature selected live sport events especially produced in Ultra HD and Viasat will also be launching an Ultra HD set-top box from Samsung
Samsung Group (; stylised as SΛMSUNG) is a South Korean Multinational corporation, multinational manufacturing Conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered in the Samsung Town office complex in Seoul. The group consists of numerous a ...
and a TV-module to enable existing UHD TVs to display the channel. SES claimed the launch of Viasat Ultra HD will bring the number of UHD channels (including test channels and regional versions) carried on SES satellites to 24, or 46% of all UHD channels broadcast via satellite worldwide.
On 30 March 2017, the SES-10
SES-10, is a geostationary communications satellite awarded in February 2014, owned and operated by SES and designed and manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space on the Eurostar-3000 satellite bus. It is positioned at the 67° West position t ...
satellite was successfully launched from Cape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral () is a cape (geography), cape in Brevard County, Florida, in the United States, near the center of the state's Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. Officially Cape Kennedy from 1963 to 1973, it lies east of Merritt Island, separated ...
by a SpaceX
Space Exploration Technologies Corp., commonly referred to as SpaceX, is an America, American space technology company headquartered at the SpaceX Starbase, Starbase development site in Starbase, Texas. Since its founding in 2002, the compa ...
Falcon 9
Falcon 9 is a Reusable launch system#Partial reusable launch systems, partially reusable, two-stage-to-orbit, medium-lift launch vehicle designed and manufactured in the United States by SpaceX. The first Falcon 9 launch was on June 4, 2010, an ...
rocket using a refurbished first stage booster that had been previously used to launch a SpaceX Dragon
Dragon is a family of spacecraft developed and produced by American private space transportation company SpaceX.
The first variant, later named SpaceX Dragon 1, Dragon 1, flew 23 cargo missions to the International Space Station (ISS) between ...
cargo ship to the International Space Station
The International Space Station (ISS) is a large space station that was Assembly of the International Space Station, assembled and is maintained in low Earth orbit by a collaboration of five space agencies and their contractors: NASA (United ...
for NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...
in April 2016 and then landed and recovered. This is the first time that a rocket booster has been reused in this way. Both the Falcon 9 first stage and the payload fairing were successfully recovered after the SES-10 launch for subsequent reuse. SES-10 is positioned at 67.0° West to serve Latin America.
In April 2017, the Luxembourg
Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...
Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs extended the contract with SES to maintain, support, and continue to develop the Satmed eHealth
eHealth describes healthcare services which are supported by digital processes, communication or technology such as electronic prescribing, Telehealth, or Electronic Health Records (EHRs). The term "eHealth" originated in the 1990s, initially c ...
platform to improve public health in remote areas of developing countries until 2020, extending the provision of satellite connectivity over Africa, the Philippines and Bangladesh.
In May 2017, SES announced the successful integration with the SES-14
SES-14 is a geostationary communications satellite operated by SES at 47.5° West, replaces NSS-806, and designed and manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space. The satellite launched on 25 January 2018 at 22:20 UTC along with the Global-scal ...
satellite of the NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...
Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) scientific hosted payload A hosted payload is a module attached to a commercial satellite with communications circuitry that operates independently of the main spacecraft but which shares the satellite's power supply and transponders.
The concept has been also been referred ...
built by the University of Colorado Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder, CU, or Colorado) is a public research university in Boulder, Colorado, United States. Founded in 1876, five months before Colorado became a state, it is the flagship university of the University o ...
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics
The Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) is a research organization at the University of Colorado Boulder. LASP is a research institute with over one hundred research scientists ranging in fields from solar influences, to Earth ...
. The first scientific payload carried by an SES satellite, GOLD was integrated with SES-14 at Airbus Defence and Space
Airbus Defence and Space is a division of Airbus SE. Formed in 2014 in the restructuring of European Aeronautic Defence and Space (EADS), Airbus SE comprises the former Airbus Military, Astrium, and divisions. Contributing 21% of Airbus reven ...
in Toulouse
Toulouse (, ; ; ) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Haute-Garonne department and of the Occitania (administrative region), Occitania region. The city is on the banks of the Garonne, River Garonne, from ...
, France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
ahead of its launch to 47.5° West in late 2017 on a SpaceX
Space Exploration Technologies Corp., commonly referred to as SpaceX, is an America, American space technology company headquartered at the SpaceX Starbase, Starbase development site in Starbase, Texas. Since its founding in 2002, the compa ...
Falcon 9 Full Thrust
Falcon 9 Full Thrust (also known as Falcon 9 v1.2) is a Reusable launch system#Partial reusable launch systems, partially reusable, two-stage-to-orbit, medium-lift launch vehicle when reused and Heavy-lift launch vehicle when expended designed an ...
from Kennedy Space Center
The John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC, originally known as the NASA Launch Operations Center), located on Merritt Island, Florida, is one of the NASA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) ten NASA facilities#List of field c ...
in Cape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral () is a cape (geography), cape in Brevard County, Florida, in the United States, near the center of the state's Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. Officially Cape Kennedy from 1963 to 1973, it lies east of Merritt Island, separated ...
, Florida.
In June 2017, SES announced the start of a 30-month project by the Satellite and Terrestrial Network for 5G (SaT5G) consortium for the seamless, and economically viable, integration of satellite (such as SES' geostationary orbit
A geostationary orbit, also referred to as a geosynchronous equatorial orbit''Geostationary orbit'' and ''Geosynchronous (equatorial) orbit'' are used somewhat interchangeably in sources. (GEO), is a circular orbit, circular geosynchronous or ...
and medium Earth orbit
A medium Earth orbit (MEO) is an geocentric orbit, Earth-centered orbit with an altitude above a low Earth orbit (LEO) and below a high Earth orbit (HEO) – between above sea level. high throughput satellites) into future 5G networks, improving the ubiquity, resilience and efficiency of 5G services, and opening new markets in media distribution, transport and underserved areas. The consortium is funded by the European Commission
The European Commission (EC) is the primary Executive (government), executive arm of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with a number of European Commissioner, members of the Commission (directorial system, informall ...
under the Horizon 2020
The Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development, also called Framework Programmes or abbreviated FP1 to FP9, are funding programmes created by the European Union/European Commission to support and foster research in the Europe ...
programme and comprises 16 members, including SES and Airbus Defence and Space
Airbus Defence and Space is a division of Airbus SE. Formed in 2014 in the restructuring of European Aeronautic Defence and Space (EADS), Airbus SE comprises the former Airbus Military, Astrium, and divisions. Contributing 21% of Airbus reven ...
, Avanti Communications
Avanti Communications is a UK based satellite operator, selling wholesale satellite broadband and satellite connectivity services to Internet Service Providers, Mobile Network Operators, Enterprises, Governments and other satellite operators. The ...
, British Telecom
BT Group plc (formerly British Telecom) is a British Multinational corporation, multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered in London, England. It has operations in around 180 countries and is the largest provider of fixed-li ...
, Broadpeak, Gilat Satellite Networks
Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. is an Israeli public company (Tel Aviv Stock Exchange: GILT; NASDAQ: GILT). Gilat is a global leading provider of satellite-based broadband communications technology, its main expertise being the development, manufac ...
, OneAccess, Thales Alenia Space
Thales Alenia Space () is a joint venture between the French technology corporation Thales Group (67%) and Italian defense conglomerate Leonardo (company), Leonardo (33%). The company is headquartered in Cannes, France.
It provides space-based ...
, TNO, University of Surrey
The University of Surrey is a public research university in Guildford, Surrey, England. The university received its Royal Charter, royal charter in 1966, along with a Plate glass university, number of other institutions following recommendations ...
, and Zodiac Inflight Innovation.
In September 2017, SES announced the next generation of O3b satellites and service. Named O3b mPOWER
O3b mPOWER is a communications satellite system owned and operated by SES. The system uses high-throughput and low- latency satellites in a medium Earth orbit (MEO), along with ground infrastructure and intelligent software, to provide multip ...
, the new constellation of (initially) seven MEO satellites built by Boeing Satellite Systems
The Boeing Satellite Development Center is a major business unit of Boeing Defense, Space & Security. It brought together Boeing satellite operations with that of GM Hughes Electronics' Space and Communications division in El Segundo, Califo ...
will deliver 10 terabits of capacity globally through 30,000 spot beams for broadband internet services. O3b mPOWER is expected to launch in 2021.
On 11 October 2017, a flight-proven (refurbished) SpaceX
Space Exploration Technologies Corp., commonly referred to as SpaceX, is an America, American space technology company headquartered at the SpaceX Starbase, Starbase development site in Starbase, Texas. Since its founding in 2002, the compa ...
Falcon 9
Falcon 9 is a Reusable launch system#Partial reusable launch systems, partially reusable, two-stage-to-orbit, medium-lift launch vehicle designed and manufactured in the United States by SpaceX. The first Falcon 9 launch was on June 4, 2010, an ...
rocket launched the SES-11
SES-11 / EchoStar 105 is a geostationary communications satellite operated by SES and EchoStar and designed and manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space. It has a mass of and has a design life of at least 15 years.
The spacecraft had been re ...
satellite to the geostationary orbital position of 105.0° West. The launch was originally set for late 2016 but suffered a year-long delay because of SpaceX's September 2016 Falcon 9 explosion. SES-11 was built by Airbus Defence and Space
Airbus Defence and Space is a division of Airbus SE. Formed in 2014 in the restructuring of European Aeronautic Defence and Space (EADS), Airbus SE comprises the former Airbus Military, Astrium, and divisions. Contributing 21% of Airbus reven ...
and is a dual mission satellite, with 24 Ku-band transponders marketed by EchoStar
EchoStar Corporation is an American telecommunications company, specializing in satellite communication, wireless telecommunications, and internet services. Echostar also provides multichannel video programming and mobile services through its ...
as EchoStar 105 to replace capacity on SES' AMC-15 satellite, and 24 C-band transponders marketed by SES as SES-11 for replacement capacity for AMC-18
AMC-18 is a geostationary Lockheed Martin A2100A communications satellite owned by SES Americom. It was launched on 8 December 2006 from Centre Spatial Guyanais aboard an Ariane 5 ECA launch vehicle and is situated at 83° West longitude, provi ...
delivering video, especially HD and UHD
UHD may refer to:
Technology
* Ultra-high-definition television
* Ultra HD, any of several high-definition graphics display resolutions
* USRP hardware driver, used with Universal Software Radio Peripherals
* Ultra HD Blu-ray, an enhanced varian ...
, to the United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
and the Caribbean
The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...
. Following positioning at 105.0° West and in-orbit testing, SES-11 was declared fully operational on 29 November 2017.
In February 2018, SES teamed up with Intelsat
Intelsat S.A. (formerly Intel-Sat, Intelsat) is a Luxembourgish-American multinational satellite services provider with corporate headquarters in Luxembourg and administrative headquarters in Tysons, Virginia, United States. Originally formed ...
(later joined by Eutelsat
Eutelsat S.A. is a French satellite operator. Providing coverage over the entire European continent, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Americas, it has been the world's third-largest satellite operator in terms of revenues. Its subsidiary E ...
in July 2018) for a proposal to United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, internet, wi-fi, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains j ...
(FCC) to form a consortium of satellite service providers to protect the quality and reliability of existing video and audio services to United States households downlink
In a telecommunications network, a link is a communication channel that connects two or more devices for the purpose of data transmission. The link may be a dedicated physical link or a virtual circuit that uses one or more physical links or shar ...
ing in the 3700-4200 MHz C-band C band may refer to:
* C band (IEEE), a radio frequency band from 4 to 8 GHz
* C band (infrared), an infrared band from 1530 to 1565 nm (roughly 200 THz)
* C band (NATO)
The NATO C-band is the obsolete designation given to the radio frequen ...
spectrum while enabling wireless operators to access 100 MHz of C-band spectrum for deployment of next generation 5G services in the United States.
In March 2018, Saint Martin Saint Martin may refer to:
People
* Saint Martin of Tours (c. 316–397), Bishop of Tours, France
* Saint Martin of Braga (c. 520–580), archbishop of Bracara Augusta in Gallaecia (now Braga in Portugal)
* Pope Martin I (c. 595–655), bishop of R ...
-based satellite TV provider KiwiSAT
AMSAT is a name for various amateur radio satellite organizations worldwide. In particular, it often refers to the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, headquartered in Washington, D.C. AMSAT organizations design, build, arrange launches for, a ...
launched a new DTH platform to deliver about 130 channels (including 90 HD channels) of TV entertainment to consumers across the Caribbean using the SES-10 satellite at 67.0° West.
In May 2018, SES broadcast an 8K television signal via its satellite system for the first time, as part of its Industry Days conference at the Luxembourg HQ. The 8K demonstration content, with a resolution of 7680 x 4320 pixels, a frame rate of 60 frames per second and 10-bit colour depth, was encoded in HEVC and transmitted at a rate of 80 Mbit/s via the Astra 3B
Astra 3B is one of the Astra communications satellites owned and operated by SES, launched in 2010 to the Astra 23.5°E orbital position providing digital television and radio for direct-to-home (DTH), and the AstraConnect two-way satellit ...
satellite.
In September 2018, in response to a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking of July 2018 from the United States Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, internet, wi-fi, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains j ...
(FCC) to make the 3.7 to 4.2 GHz spectrum available for next-generation terrestrial fixed and mobile broadband services, SES, along with Intelsat
Intelsat S.A. (formerly Intel-Sat, Intelsat) is a Luxembourgish-American multinational satellite services provider with corporate headquarters in Luxembourg and administrative headquarters in Tysons, Virginia, United States. Originally formed ...
, Eutelsat
Eutelsat S.A. is a French satellite operator. Providing coverage over the entire European continent, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Americas, it has been the world's third-largest satellite operator in terms of revenues. Its subsidiary E ...
and Telesat
Telesat, formerly Telesat Canada, is a Canadian satellite communications company (law), company founded on May 2, 1969. The company is headquartered in Ottawa.
History Founding and privatization (1969-2005)
Telesat began in 1969 as Telesat C ...
- together providing the majority of C-band satellite services in the United States, including media distribution reaching 100 million United States households - established the C-Band Alliance (CBA). The consortium's proposal to the FCC is to act as a facilitator for the clearing and repurposing of a 200 MHz portion of C-band spectrum to accelerate the deployment of next generation 5G services while protecting incumbent users and their content distribution and data networks in the US from potential interference.
In April 2019, four O3b
O3b is a satellite constellation in Medium Earth orbit (MEO) owned and operated by SES, and designed to provide lower-latency broadband connectivity to remote locations for mobile network operators and internet service providers, maritime, av ...
medium Earth orbit
A medium Earth orbit (MEO) is an geocentric orbit, Earth-centered orbit with an altitude above a low Earth orbit (LEO) and below a high Earth orbit (HEO) – between above sea level. (MEO) satellites were launched by Arianespace
Arianespace SA is a French company founded in March 1980 as the world's first commercial launch service provider. It operates two launch vehicles: Vega C, a Small-lift launch vehicle, small-lift rocket, and Ariane 6, a Medium-lift launch vehicl ...
at the Centre Spatial Guyanais
The Guiana Space Centre (; CSG), also called Europe's Spaceport, is a spaceport to the northwest of Kourou in French Guiana, an Overseas departments and regions of France, overseas region of France in South America. Kourou is located approxim ...
in Kourou
Kourou (; ) is a commune in French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France in South America. Kourou is famous for being the location of the Guiana Space Centre, the main spaceport of France and the European Space Agency (ESA). It ...
, French Guiana to complete the constellation
A constellation is an area on the celestial sphere in which a group of visible stars forms Asterism (astronomy), a perceived pattern or outline, typically representing an animal, mythological subject, or inanimate object.
The first constellati ...
of 20 first generation satellites for the SES-owned network communications service provider.
In May 2019, for the first time in Europe, 8K demonstration content was received via satellite without the need for a separate external receiver or decoder. At the 2019, SES Industry Days conference at Betzdorf, Luxembourg
Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...
broadcast quality 8K content (with a resolution of 7680 x 4320 pixels at 50 frames/s) was encoded using a Spin Digital HEVC encoder (at a bit rate of 70 Mbit/s), uplinked to a single 33 MHz transponder on SES' Astra 28.2°E satellites and the downlink received and displayed on a Samsung
Samsung Group (; stylised as SΛMSUNG) is a South Korean Multinational corporation, multinational manufacturing Conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered in the Samsung Town office complex in Seoul. The group consists of numerous a ...
82in Q950RB production model TV.
In September 2019, SES announced it had partnered with satellite payload and network management systems developer, Kythera Space Solutions to develop the ARC (Adaptive Resource Control) software to enable the dynamic control and optimisation of power, throughput, beams and frequency allocation on O3b mPOWER
O3b mPOWER is a communications satellite system owned and operated by SES. The system uses high-throughput and low- latency satellites in a medium Earth orbit (MEO), along with ground infrastructure and intelligent software, to provide multip ...
, SES-17
SES-17, is a high throughput all electric geostationary communications satellite owned and operated by SES, and designed and manufactured by Thales Alenia Space. Launched on 24 October 2021 from Centre Spatial Guyanais (CSG), in Kourou, Fren ...
and other future high-throughput satellites and their networks, autonomously optimizing space and ground resources, on-the-fly, in accordance with customers' changing needs.
In September 2019, SES became a Microsoft Azure
Microsoft Azure, or just Azure ( /ˈæʒər, ˈeɪʒər/ ''AZH-ər, AY-zhər'', UK also /ˈæzjʊər, ˈeɪzjʊər/ ''AZ-ure, AY-zure''), is the cloud computing platform developed by Microsoft. It has management, access and development of ...
ExpressRoute services partner to provide dedicated, private network connectivity from sea vessels, aircraft, and industrial or government sites anywhere in the world to the Azure cloud computing
Cloud computing is "a paradigm for enabling network access to a scalable and elastic pool of shareable physical or virtual resources with self-service provisioning and administration on-demand," according to International Organization for ...
service, via both its geostationary and O3b
O3b is a satellite constellation in Medium Earth orbit (MEO) owned and operated by SES, and designed to provide lower-latency broadband connectivity to remote locations for mobile network operators and internet service providers, maritime, av ...
medium Earth orbit satellites.
In September 2019, SES announced a new Free-to-view
Free-to-view (FTV) is a term used for audiovisual transmissions that are provided free without any form of continual subscription. It differs from free-to-air (FTA) in that the program is encrypted.
Free-to-view vs. free-to-air
The free-to-vie ...
DTH platform on Astra 1N
Astra 1N is one of the Astra communications satellites owned and operated by SES and is positioned at the Astra 19.2°E orbital position. It was launched in 2011 and is the fourth satellite to be built for Astra by Astrium (now Airbus Defen ...
at 19.2° East, encrypted using Verimatrix
Verimatrix () provides cybersecurity products and services that protect video content, streaming media, mobile applications, websites and APIs. The company merged with Inside Secure in 2019. It is headquartered in France and Asaf Ashkenazi is the ...
and carrying 30-40 channels from Russian-language OTT broadcaster Kartina TV for Russian-speaking diaspora across Europe with limited broadband connectivity.
In September 2019, the media technical services provider MX1, a wholly owned subsidiary of SES, was merged into the SES Video division, dropping the MX1 brand and providing all broadcast and streamed content management, playout, distribution, and monetisation services under the SES name.
In May 2020, SES released the results of the 2019 Satellite Monitor TV reception survey, which for the first time covered the Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
. The survey found satellite TV is the second-most popular mode of TV reception in the Philippines with 17% of over 20.8 million TV households, behind terrestrial TV (66%), and that broadcasts from SES satellites reach 98% of Filipino satellite TV households.
On 26 May 2020, SES elected to clear a portion of the C-Band C band may refer to:
* C band (IEEE), a radio frequency band from 4 to 8 GHz
* C band (infrared), an infrared band from 1530 to 1565 nm (roughly 200 THz)
* C band (NATO)
The NATO C-band is the obsolete designation given to the radio frequen ...
spectrum in the United States, currently used for satellite TV services, in accordance with the Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, internet, wi-fi, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains j ...
(FCC) order for the accelerated release of the 3.7-4.0 GHz portion of the band for 5G mobile broadband services. The SES Board of Directors approved US$1.6 billion for the procurement and launch of new satellites and other equipment and services for the migration of existing customers using the spectrum, which will be reimbursable through the FCC Clearinghouse. In June 2020, SES announced that four new C-band satellites had been ordered for this purpose from United States manufacturers, Boeing
The Boeing Company, or simply Boeing (), is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product support s ...
and Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American multinational Aerospace manufacturer, aerospace and Arms industry, defense company. With 97,000 employees and an annual revenue in excess of $40 billion, it is one of the world's largest Arms industry ...
. SES-18 and SES-19 will be GEOStar-3
The GEOStar-3 is a communications satellite spacecraft model made by Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems. GEOStar-3 represents an evolutionary growth from Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems GEOStar-2 platform. The GEOStar-3 Bus can accommodate p ...
satellites designed, assembled, and tested by Northrop Grumman, and SES-20 and SES-21 will be all-electric 702SP satellites from Boeing. Each satellite will have ten 36 MHz C-band transponders for delivery of digital TV and data services, and will be launched in 2022 to orbital slots at 103.0° West, 131.0° West and 135.0° West.
In July 2020, SES launched a free-to-air information channel, Fight COVID-19, across several satellites to combat the global coronavirus
Coronaviruses are a group of related RNA viruses that cause diseases in mammals and birds. In humans and birds, they cause respiratory tract infections that can range from mild to lethal. Mild illnesses in humans include some cases of the comm ...
pandemic
A pandemic ( ) is an epidemic of an infectious disease that has a sudden increase in cases and spreads across a large region, for instance multiple continents or worldwide, affecting a substantial number of individuals. Widespread endemic (epi ...
. Available to millions of households across Africa, Europe, and Asia-Pacific, and providing underserved and rural communities with critical information about how to limit the spread of the virus, the content is provided by trusted organisations such as UNICEF
UNICEF ( ), originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Development a ...
, AFP and other international and regional organisations. The channel is broadcast from SES-5
SES-5 (also known as Astra 4B and Sirius 5) is a commercial geostationary communication satellite operated by SES It was launched on 9 July 2012. The launch was arranged by International Launch Services (ILS).
History
In October 2008, SE ...
(5.0° East) for Sub-Saharan Africa, Astra 4A
Astra 4A (originally Sirius 4) is one of the Astra communications satellite
A communications satellite is an artificial satellite that relays and amplifies radio telecommunication signals via a Transponder (satellite communications), transp ...
( 5.0° East) for Europe and Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
, Astra 2F
Astra 2F is one of the Astra communications satellites owned and operated by SES S.A., launched in September 2012 to the Astra 28.2°E orbital position. The satellite provides free-to-air and encrypted direct-to-home (DTH) digital televisio ...
( 28.2° East) for West Africa, NSS-12 (57.0° East) for Ethiopia
Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...
and adjacent countries, and SES-9 (108.2° East) for the Philippines.
In August 2020, SES ordered two C-Band C band may refer to:
* C band (IEEE), a radio frequency band from 4 to 8 GHz
* C band (infrared), an infrared band from 1530 to 1565 nm (roughly 200 THz)
* C band (NATO)
The NATO C-band is the obsolete designation given to the radio frequen ...
geostationary
A geostationary orbit, also referred to as a geosynchronous equatorial orbit''Geostationary orbit'' and ''Geosynchronous (equatorial) orbit'' are used somewhat interchangeably in sources. (GEO), is a circular geosynchronous orbit in altitud ...
TV satellites from Thales Alenia Space
Thales Alenia Space () is a joint venture between the French technology corporation Thales Group (67%) and Italian defense conglomerate Leonardo (company), Leonardo (33%). The company is headquartered in Cannes, France.
It provides space-based ...
. SES-22 and SES-23 are the last of six satellites SES needs to relocate existing C-band services from a portion of the C-band spectrum in accordance with the Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, internet, wi-fi, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains j ...
's plans to repurpose the frequencies for 5G cellular networks.
In August 2020 SES contracted Boeing
The Boeing Company, or simply Boeing (), is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product support s ...
to build four O3b mPOWER
O3b mPOWER is a communications satellite system owned and operated by SES. The system uses high-throughput and low- latency satellites in a medium Earth orbit (MEO), along with ground infrastructure and intelligent software, to provide multip ...
satellites in addition to the seven already under construction. SpaceX
Space Exploration Technologies Corp., commonly referred to as SpaceX, is an America, American space technology company headquartered at the SpaceX Starbase, Starbase development site in Starbase, Texas. Since its founding in 2002, the compa ...
was contracted for an additional two launches, to make four launches for the whole O3b mPOWER constellation in 2021–2024.[''SES taps SpaceX for two additional Falcon 9 launches''](_blank)
Space News. 20 August 2020. Accessed 20 August 2020
In September 2020, SES and Microsoft announced that SES was the medium Earth orbit
A medium Earth orbit (MEO) is an geocentric orbit, Earth-centered orbit with an altitude above a low Earth orbit (LEO) and below a high Earth orbit (HEO) – between above sea level. connectivity partner for the Microsoft Azure Orbital ground station service that enables network operators to control their satellite operations and capacity from within the Azure cloud computing
Cloud computing is "a paradigm for enabling network access to a scalable and elastic pool of shareable physical or virtual resources with self-service provisioning and administration on-demand," according to International Organization for ...
service. Under their agreement, SES and Microsoft will jointly invest in Azure Orbital ground stations for the MEO and Earth Observation segments, initially in the US, which will be installed and managed by SES. Also, satellite telemetry, tracking and control systems and data ground stations for the O3b mPOWER
O3b mPOWER is a communications satellite system owned and operated by SES. The system uses high-throughput and low- latency satellites in a medium Earth orbit (MEO), along with ground infrastructure and intelligent software, to provide multip ...
satellites will be located with Microsoft's Azure edge sites to provide O3b mPOWER customers with ‘one-hop’ access to Azure cloud services.
In February 2021, SES agreed multi-year extension capacity contracts worth over €66 million with European public service broadcasters including ARD, BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
, BVN
BVN (''Het beste van NPO'', "The best of NPO"), is a Dutch free-to-air television channel providing Dutch public television to viewers around the world. It is a service of the public broadcasting company of the Netherlands, Nederlandse Publie ...
, France 24
France 24 ( in French) is a French state-owned publicly funded international news television network based in Paris. Its channels, broadcast in French, English, Arabic and Spanish, are aimed at the overseas market.
Based in the Paris suburb ...
, TV5Monde
TV5Monde (), formerly known as TV5, is a French public television network, broadcasting several channels of French-language programming. It is an approved participant member of the European Broadcasting Union.
The network is available across ...
and ZDF
ZDF (), short for (; ), is a German public-service television broadcaster based in Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate. Launched on 1 April 1963, it is run as an independent nonprofit institution, and was founded by all federal states of Germany ( ...
In March 2021, the Luxembourg
Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...
government further extended the contract with SES to provide the Satmed satellite eHealth
eHealth describes healthcare services which are supported by digital processes, communication or technology such as electronic prescribing, Telehealth, or Electronic Health Records (EHRs). The term "eHealth" originated in the 1990s, initially c ...
platform to improve public health in remote areas of developing countries until 2024, with a €6.5 billion budget and plans for additional functionalities and deployments, and new partnerships with both more NGOs
A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an independent, typically nonprofit organization that operates outside government control, though it may get a significant percentage of its funding from government or corporate sources. NGOs often focus ...
and supranational organisations to provide regional or cross-country support.
In June 2021, SES joined the Amazon Web Services
Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS) is a subsidiary of Amazon.com, Amazon that provides Software as a service, on-demand cloud computing computing platform, platforms and Application programming interface, APIs to individuals, companies, and gover ...
Direct Connect Delivery Partner programme, to provide customers access to AWS cloud-based applications and services from locations around the world with limited or no terrestrial communications, claiming to be the first satellite operator to do so. The service is provided via SES' geostationary satellites and the O3b
O3b is a satellite constellation in Medium Earth orbit (MEO) owned and operated by SES, and designed to provide lower-latency broadband connectivity to remote locations for mobile network operators and internet service providers, maritime, av ...
medium Earth orbit
A medium Earth orbit (MEO) is an geocentric orbit, Earth-centered orbit with an altitude above a low Earth orbit (LEO) and below a high Earth orbit (HEO) – between above sea level. satellites and also gives cloud providers a backup network if their infrastructure fails.
In July 2021, SES entered into a capacity agreement with Indian public sector enterprise, NewSpace India Limited
NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) is a Public Sector Undertakings in India, Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) of the Government of India, under the Department of Space. NSIL is responsible for producing, assembling and integrating the launch vehicle ...
(NSIL) for 9 transponders on the SES-8
SES-8 is a geostationary Communications satellite operated by SES SES-8 was successfully launched on SpaceX Falcon 9 v1.1 on 3 December 2013, 22:41:00 UTC.
It was the first flight of any SpaceX launch vehicle to a supersynchronous transfer ...
satellite at 95°E, for distribution of satellite TV services across India and the thriving direct-to-home
Satellite television is a service that delivers television programming to viewers by relaying it from a communications satellite orbiting the Earth directly to the viewer's location.ITU Radio Regulations, Section IV. Radio Stations and Systems ...
market.
In August 2021, Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company, technology conglomerate headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Founded in 1975, the company became influential in the History of personal computers#The ear ...
became the first cloud computing
Cloud computing is "a paradigm for enabling network access to a scalable and elastic pool of shareable physical or virtual resources with self-service provisioning and administration on-demand," according to International Organization for ...
provider customer for SES' O3b
O3b is a satellite constellation in Medium Earth orbit (MEO) owned and operated by SES, and designed to provide lower-latency broadband connectivity to remote locations for mobile network operators and internet service providers, maritime, av ...
medium Earth orbit
A medium Earth orbit (MEO) is an geocentric orbit, Earth-centered orbit with an altitude above a low Earth orbit (LEO) and below a high Earth orbit (HEO) – between above sea level. satellite system, with Microsoft buying managed satellite connectivity services from SES for the Microsoft Azure
Microsoft Azure, or just Azure ( /ˈæʒər, ˈeɪʒər/ ''AZH-ər, AY-zhər'', UK also /ˈæzjʊər, ˈeɪzjʊər/ ''AZ-ure, AY-zure''), is the cloud computing platform developed by Microsoft. It has management, access and development of ...
cloud service. Microsoft is initially using the existing first generation O3b satellites, before upgrading to the faster broadband speeds from the O3b mPOWER
O3b mPOWER is a communications satellite system owned and operated by SES. The system uses high-throughput and low- latency satellites in a medium Earth orbit (MEO), along with ground infrastructure and intelligent software, to provide multip ...
satellites when they come into operation in 2022.
In September 2021, the wholly-owned direct-to-consumer HD service in Germany, HD+ launched the HD+ ToGo app for Android and iOS smartphones and tablets giving existing subscribers access to the platform's 50 HD channels, along with catch-up services and online functions, on mobile devices for an additional fee.
In October 2021, the SES-17 satellite was launched from the Guiana Space Centre
The Guiana Space Centre (; CSG), also called Europe's Spaceport, is a spaceport to the northwest of Kourou in French Guiana, an Overseas departments and regions of France, overseas region of France in South America. Kourou is located approxim ...
in Kourou
Kourou (; ) is a commune in French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France in South America. Kourou is famous for being the location of the Guiana Space Centre, the main spaceport of France and the European Space Agency (ESA). It ...
, French Guiana
French Guiana, or Guyane in French, is an Overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France located on the northern coast of South America in the Guianas and the West Indies. Bordered by Suriname to the west ...
, SES's first geostationary Ka-band
The Ka band (pronounced as either "kay-ay band" or "ka band") is a portion of the microwave part of the electromagnetic spectrum. The designation "Ka-band" is from Kurz-above, which stems from the German word ''kurz,'' meaning "short".
There ...
high-throughput satellite
A high-throughput satellite (HTS) is a communications satellite which provides more throughput than a classic fixed service satellite (FSS). An HTS provides at least twice, though usually 20 times or more, throughput for the same amount of allocat ...
. SES-17 has an all-electric propulsion system and will reach its 67.1°W position in geostationary orbit
A geostationary orbit, also referred to as a geosynchronous equatorial orbit''Geostationary orbit'' and ''Geosynchronous (equatorial) orbit'' are used somewhat interchangeably in sources. (GEO), is a circular orbit, circular geosynchronous or ...
in mid-2022, providing coverage for aeronautical, maritime, enterprise, and government markets across the Americas, the Caribbean and the Atlantic Ocean. It has a fully digital payload with nearly 200 reprogrammable spot beam
A spot beam, in telecommunications parlance, is a satellite signal that is specially concentrated in power (i.e. sent by a high-gain antenna) so that it will cover only a limited geographic area on Earth. Spot beams are used so that only Earth stat ...
s that can be freely interconnected and changed in power and frequency in real-time to adapt to changing customer demands, and will operate in conjunction with SES's O3b mPOWER
O3b mPOWER is a communications satellite system owned and operated by SES. The system uses high-throughput and low- latency satellites in a medium Earth orbit (MEO), along with ground infrastructure and intelligent software, to provide multip ...
medium Earth orbit
A medium Earth orbit (MEO) is an geocentric orbit, Earth-centered orbit with an altitude above a low Earth orbit (LEO) and below a high Earth orbit (HEO) – between above sea level. satellites as a multi-orbit system.
In November 2021, SES ordered two replacement satellites from Thales Alenia Space
Thales Alenia Space () is a joint venture between the French technology corporation Thales Group (67%) and Italian defense conglomerate Leonardo (company), Leonardo (33%). The company is headquartered in Cannes, France.
It provides space-based ...
for launch in 2024 to SES's original orbital position at 19.2°E and service well into the 2040s. Like the satellites currently at the Astra 19.2°E slot (Astra 1KR
Astra 1KR is one of the Astra geostationary satellites owned and operated by SES, was purchased in June 2003. It was launched on 20 April 2006, 20:27:00 UTC as a replacement for Astra 1K, which failed to reach orbit on launch in November 2002. ...
, Astra 1L
Astra 1L, is one of the Astra geostationary satellites owned and operated by SES. It was purchased in June 2003, launched in May 2007 and stationed at SES's primary European TV orbital position at 19.2° East.
Starting in February 2025, fo ...
, Astra 1M
Astra 1M is a geostationary communications satellite which is operated by SES. It is positioned in geostationary orbit at a longitude of 19.2° East, from where it is used to provide direct to home (DTH) broadcasting to Europe, Africa, and the ...
, and Astra 1N
Astra 1N is one of the Astra communications satellites owned and operated by SES and is positioned at the Astra 19.2°E orbital position. It was launched in 2011 and is the fourth satellite to be built for Astra by Astrium (now Airbus Defen ...
- all launched 10–15 years ago, with the older two at the end of their planned life), Astra 1P
Astra 1P (also known as SES-24) is an Astra communications satellite, built by Thales Alenia Space for owner/operator SES. Launched by SpaceX on 20 June 2024, the satellite is positioned in geostationary orbit, in SES's primary European broadc ...
will provide direct-to-home
Satellite television is a service that delivers television programming to viewers by relaying it from a communications satellite orbiting the Earth directly to the viewer's location.ITU Radio Regulations, Section IV. Radio Stations and Systems ...
broadcast TV to Europe, in particular Germany, France and Spain. Astra 1Q is a reconfigurable software defined satellite with both wide beams for broadcast TV and high-throughput spot beams for video and data customers.
In November 2021, SES announced that wholly owned subsidiary HD+, the premium HD and UHD satellite TV service for German users, would start a new service, HD+ IP, in December 2021 to stream HD+ channels to viewers' TV sets through a smart TV app without the need for a dish or set-top box, for a subscription of €6 per month.
In December 2021, SES's wholly owned subsidiary SES Government Solutions (now SES Space & Defense) announced that the US Army has conducted trials of commercial satellite constellation
A satellite constellation is a group of artificial satellites working together as a system. Unlike a single satellite, a constellation can provide permanent global or near-global pass (spaceflight), coverage, such that at any time everywhere on E ...
s in multiple orbits, including SES's O3b
O3b is a satellite constellation in Medium Earth orbit (MEO) owned and operated by SES, and designed to provide lower-latency broadband connectivity to remote locations for mobile network operators and internet service providers, maritime, av ...
medium Earth orbit
A medium Earth orbit (MEO) is an geocentric orbit, Earth-centered orbit with an altitude above a low Earth orbit (LEO) and below a high Earth orbit (HEO) – between above sea level. satellites, as part of the effort to establish Multi-Domain Operations.
In December 2021, Honeywell
Honeywell International Inc. is an American publicly traded, multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. It primarily operates in four areas of business: aerospace, building automation, industrial automa ...
, Hughes Network Systems
Hughes Network Systems, LLC is an American telecommunications company that specializes in providing satellite-based communication services for consumer and enterprise markets. It is headquartered in Germantown, Maryland and provides satellite i ...
and SES demonstrated multi-orbit high-speed airborne connectivity for military customers using Honeywell's JetWave MCX terminal and a Hughes HM-series modem, and SES satellites in both medium Earth orbit
A medium Earth orbit (MEO) is an geocentric orbit, Earth-centered orbit with an altitude above a low Earth orbit (LEO) and below a high Earth orbit (HEO) – between above sea level. (MEO) and geostationary orbit
A geostationary orbit, also referred to as a geosynchronous equatorial orbit''Geostationary orbit'' and ''Geosynchronous (equatorial) orbit'' are used somewhat interchangeably in sources. (GEO), is a circular orbit, circular geosynchronous or ...
(GEO). The tests achieved full duplex data rates of more than 40 megabits per second via a number of SES' (GEO) satellites including GovSat-1, and the high-throughput, low-latency O3b
O3b is a satellite constellation in Medium Earth orbit (MEO) owned and operated by SES, and designed to provide lower-latency broadband connectivity to remote locations for mobile network operators and internet service providers, maritime, av ...
MEO satellite constellation
A satellite constellation is a group of artificial satellites working together as a system. Unlike a single satellite, a constellation can provide permanent global or near-global pass (spaceflight), coverage, such that at any time everywhere on E ...
, with connections moving between GEO/MEO links in under 30 sec.
In February 2022, SES formed a joint venture with India's biggest telco, Jio Platforms
Jio Platforms is an Indian Multinational corporation, multinational technology company, headquartered in Mumbai. It is a subsidiary of Reliance Industries. Established in 2019, it acts as a holding company for India's largest mobile network op ...
(JPL). The newly formed Jio Space Technology Limited will deliver broadband services in India of up to 100 Gbit/s capacity, using the SES-12 high-throughput geostationary
A geostationary orbit, also referred to as a geosynchronous equatorial orbit''Geostationary orbit'' and ''Geosynchronous (equatorial) orbit'' are used somewhat interchangeably in sources. (GEO), is a circular geosynchronous orbit in altitud ...
satellite and the O3b mPOWER
O3b mPOWER is a communications satellite system owned and operated by SES. The system uses high-throughput and low- latency satellites in a medium Earth orbit (MEO), along with ground infrastructure and intelligent software, to provide multip ...
medium Earth orbit
A medium Earth orbit (MEO) is an geocentric orbit, Earth-centered orbit with an altitude above a low Earth orbit (LEO) and below a high Earth orbit (HEO) – between above sea level. satellite constellation
A satellite constellation is a group of artificial satellites working together as a system. Unlike a single satellite, a constellation can provide permanent global or near-global pass (spaceflight), coverage, such that at any time everywhere on E ...
, to extend JPL's terrestrial network, enhancing access to digital services in unconnected areas within India and the region. JPL and SES will own 51% and 49% equity stake respectively in the new company.
In February 2022, Orange
Orange most often refers to:
*Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis''
** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower
** Orange juice
*Orange (colour), the color of an orange fruit, occurs between red and yellow in the vi ...
announced that, along with SES, it will deploy and manage the first gateway in Africa for SES's O3b mPOWER
O3b mPOWER is a communications satellite system owned and operated by SES. The system uses high-throughput and low- latency satellites in a medium Earth orbit (MEO), along with ground infrastructure and intelligent software, to provide multip ...
medium Earth orbit
A medium Earth orbit (MEO) is an geocentric orbit, Earth-centered orbit with an altitude above a low Earth orbit (LEO) and below a high Earth orbit (HEO) – between above sea level. satellite constellation
A satellite constellation is a group of artificial satellites working together as a system. Unlike a single satellite, a constellation can provide permanent global or near-global pass (spaceflight), coverage, such that at any time everywhere on E ...
, to provide high-speed, low-latency, and cloud-optimised connectivity services across Africa, and to support telemetry, tracking and command functions for the satellites. The gateway will be located at the Sonatel
Sonatel ''()'' is the principal telecommunications provider of Senegal. The company was created by Djibo Leyti Ka, when he was Ministry of Telecommunications in 1985 to provide Senegal with its own telecommunications industry, with Ndaly Ndiaye. ...
teleport in Gandoul, Senegal
Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...
.
In March 2022, SES announced a deal with mobile operator, Verizon
Verizon Communications Inc. ( ), is an American telecommunications company headquartered in New York City. It is the world's second-largest telecommunications company by revenue and its mobile network is the largest wireless carrier in the ...
to speed up deployment of 5G services in the US. Under the agreement, SES will install filters and other equipment to Earth Stations across the entire country, to give Verizon access to the 3.7-3.8 GHz C-band C band may refer to:
* C band (IEEE), a radio frequency band from 4 to 8 GHz
* C band (infrared), an infrared band from 1530 to 1565 nm (roughly 200 THz)
* C band (NATO)
The NATO C-band is the obsolete designation given to the radio frequen ...
spectrum in key regions ahead of the deadlines for relocation of existing satellite services set out in the FCC's order
Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to:
* A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica
* Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood
...
to make part of the C-Band spectrum available for 5G terrestrial fixed and mobile broadband services.
In March 2022, SES announced the agreement to acquire DRS Global Enterprise Solutions (GES), a US-based subsidiary of defence contractor, Leonardo DRS
Leonardo DRS, formerly DRS Technologies, Inc., is a US-based defense contractor. Previously traded on the NYSE, the company was purchased by the Italian firm Finmeccanica (now Leonardo) in October 2008.
History
Diagnostic/Retrieval Systems, Inc ...
for US$450 million. GES provides managed satcom services to the US Defence Department and other government agencies, and when the transaction is concluded (expected towards the end of 2022 after regulatory approvals) the business will be combined with SES subsidiary, SES Government Solutions (now SES Space & Defense), doubling its revenue from the US government and further expanding market access for SES's next-generation Medium Earth orbit
A medium Earth orbit (MEO) is an geocentric orbit, Earth-centered orbit with an altitude above a low Earth orbit (LEO) and below a high Earth orbit (HEO) – between above sea level. network, O3b mPOWER
O3b mPOWER is a communications satellite system owned and operated by SES. The system uses high-throughput and low- latency satellites in a medium Earth orbit (MEO), along with ground infrastructure and intelligent software, to provide multip ...
, which will begin operation at that time.
In March 2022, SES extended the November 2021 order for two satellites from Thales Alenia Space
Thales Alenia Space () is a joint venture between the French technology corporation Thales Group (67%) and Italian defense conglomerate Leonardo (company), Leonardo (33%). The company is headquartered in Cannes, France.
It provides space-based ...
with a third satellite, SES-26. With both Ku-band
The Ku band () is the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum in the microwave range of frequencies from 12 to 18 gigahertz (GHz). The symbol is short for "K-under" (originally ), because it is the lower part of the original NATO K band ...
and C-band C band may refer to:
* C band (IEEE), a radio frequency band from 4 to 8 GHz
* C band (infrared), an infrared band from 1530 to 1565 nm (roughly 200 THz)
* C band (NATO)
The NATO C-band is the obsolete designation given to the radio frequen ...
transponders, the reconfigurable software-defined satellite will replace NSS-12 at 57°E, providing content delivery and connectivity across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific.[''SES ADDS THIRD SATELLITE FROM THALES ALENIA SPACE TO EXTEND SERVICES ACROSS EUROPE, AFRICA AND ASIA''](_blank)
Thales. 28 March 2022. Accessed 28 March 2022
In May 2022, SES subsidiary, SES Government Solutions (now SES Space & Defense), in partnership with Earth imaging
Satellite images (also Earth observation imagery, spaceborne photography, or simply satellite photo) are images of Earth collected by imaging satellites operated by governments and businesses around the world. Satellite imaging companies sell i ...
company, Planet Labs PBC, was awarded a US$28.96 million contract from NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...
's Communications Services Project for real-time
Real-time, realtime, or real time may refer to:
Computing
* Real-time computing, hardware and software systems subject to a specified time constraint
* Real-time clock, a computer clock that keeps track of the current time
* Real-time Control Syst ...
, always-on low-latency connectivity services to NASA spacecraft, using SES's geostationary orbit
A geostationary orbit, also referred to as a geosynchronous equatorial orbit''Geostationary orbit'' and ''Geosynchronous (equatorial) orbit'' are used somewhat interchangeably in sources. (GEO), is a circular orbit, circular geosynchronous or ...
ing C-band C band may refer to:
* C band (IEEE), a radio frequency band from 4 to 8 GHz
* C band (infrared), an infrared band from 1530 to 1565 nm (roughly 200 THz)
* C band (NATO)
The NATO C-band is the obsolete designation given to the radio frequen ...
satellites and medium Earth orbit
A medium Earth orbit (MEO) is an geocentric orbit, Earth-centered orbit with an altitude above a low Earth orbit (LEO) and below a high Earth orbit (HEO) – between above sea level. ing Ka-band
The Ka band (pronounced as either "kay-ay band" or "ka band") is a portion of the microwave part of the electromagnetic spectrum. The designation "Ka-band" is from Kurz-above, which stems from the German word ''kurz,'' meaning "short".
There ...
satellites, including the O3b mPOWER
O3b mPOWER is a communications satellite system owned and operated by SES. The system uses high-throughput and low- latency satellites in a medium Earth orbit (MEO), along with ground infrastructure and intelligent software, to provide multip ...
constellation.
In May 2022, in conjunction with Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...
i mobile network operator, Kcell
Kcell (KASE: KCEL) is the Cellular Communication Operator in Kazakhstan, part of Kazakhtelecom.
The company was founded in 1998 and provides cellular services under the Kcell brand, which is mainly focused on the corporate segment, and Activ, ...
, SES used the O3b
O3b is a satellite constellation in Medium Earth orbit (MEO) owned and operated by SES, and designed to provide lower-latency broadband connectivity to remote locations for mobile network operators and internet service providers, maritime, av ...
satellite constellation to demonstrate that medium Earth orbit
A medium Earth orbit (MEO) is an geocentric orbit, Earth-centered orbit with an altitude above a low Earth orbit (LEO) and below a high Earth orbit (HEO) – between above sea level. satellites could be used to provide high-speed 3G and 4G connectivity to remote regions of Kazakhstan for reliable video calling, conferencing and streaming, and web browsing, with a latency five times lower than on the existing platform based on geostationary orbit
A geostationary orbit, also referred to as a geosynchronous equatorial orbit''Geostationary orbit'' and ''Geosynchronous (equatorial) orbit'' are used somewhat interchangeably in sources. (GEO), is a circular orbit, circular geosynchronous or ...
satellites.
In June 2022, the SES-22 satellite was successfully launched from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) is an installation of the United States Space Force's Space Launch Delta 45, located on Cape Canaveral in Brevard County, Florida.
Headquartered at the nearby Patrick Space Force Base, the sta ...
by a SpaceX
Space Exploration Technologies Corp., commonly referred to as SpaceX, is an America, American space technology company headquartered at the SpaceX Starbase, Starbase development site in Starbase, Texas. Since its founding in 2002, the compa ...
Falcon 9 Block 5
Falcon 9 Block 5 is a Reusable launch system#Partial reusable launch systems, partially reusable, human-rating certification, human-rated, two-stage-to-orbit, medium-lift launch vehicle designed and manufactured in the United States by SpaceX. I ...
rocket. SES-22 will operate at 135° W, and is the first to launch of SES's six geostationary
A geostationary orbit, also referred to as a geosynchronous equatorial orbit''Geostationary orbit'' and ''Geosynchronous (equatorial) orbit'' are used somewhat interchangeably in sources. (GEO), is a circular geosynchronous orbit in altitud ...
C-band C band may refer to:
* C band (IEEE), a radio frequency band from 4 to 8 GHz
* C band (infrared), an infrared band from 1530 to 1565 nm (roughly 200 THz)
* C band (NATO)
The NATO C-band is the obsolete designation given to the radio frequen ...
satellites (SES-18, SES-19, SES-20, SES-21, SES-22, and SES-23) that will enable existing TV and radio services to be moved from the lower 300 MHz of the C-band spectrum to the upper 200 MHz, as part of the Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, internet, wi-fi, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains j ...
(FCC) programme to make room for the deployment of 5G services across the US.
In August 2022, SES completed the US$450 million acquisition of DRS Global Enterprise Solutions (GES) from US defence contractor, Leonardo DRS
Leonardo DRS, formerly DRS Technologies, Inc., is a US-based defense contractor. Previously traded on the NYSE, the company was purchased by the Italian firm Finmeccanica (now Leonardo) in October 2008.
History
Diagnostic/Retrieval Systems, Inc ...
, after obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals. The business will be combined with SES subsidiary, SES Government Solutions (now SES Space & Defense) to create a “scaled solutions provider serving the multi-orbit satellite communications needs of the US Government” and SES's largest data business segment by revenue.
In October 2022, the SES-20 and SES-21 satellites were successfully launched on an Atlas V
Atlas V is an expendable launch system and the fifth major version in the Atlas (rocket family), Atlas launch vehicle family. It was developed by Lockheed Martin and has been operated by United Launch Alliance (ULA) since 2006. Primarily used to ...
rocket from Cape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral () is a cape (geography), cape in Brevard County, Florida, in the United States, near the center of the state's Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. Officially Cape Kennedy from 1963 to 1973, it lies east of Merritt Island, separated ...
. The two Boeing
The Boeing Company, or simply Boeing (), is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product support s ...
-built C-band C band may refer to:
* C band (IEEE), a radio frequency band from 4 to 8 GHz
* C band (infrared), an infrared band from 1530 to 1565 nm (roughly 200 THz)
* C band (NATO)
The NATO C-band is the obsolete designation given to the radio frequen ...
satellites are part of SES's programme to clear part of the C-band spectrum for 5G services. SES-20 and SES-21 will be positioned at 103° West and 131° West, respectively, to provide a continued service of TV and radio broadcasts to the US. The satellites were expected to begin operations in November 2022. SES-21 became operational at 131° West on 1 December 2022. SES-20 arrived at the 103° West orbital slot on 5 January 2023 where it will serve as an in-orbit spare satellite in case of failure of other SES satellites used in the C-band clearance programme.
In October 2022, SES announced that it had launched a content distribution platform dedicated to sports and events, providing coverage over Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, for customers including broadcasters, professional sports leagues, national and international sports associations, and sports rights holders.
In December 2022, following the acquisition of DRS Global Enterprise Solutions in August 2022, and its merger into SES Government Solutions, the combined subsidiary company was renamed SES Space & Defense, and restructured into two business units, Space Initiatives (using SES's multi-orbit satellite fleet and infrastructure) and Defense Networks (providing multi-operator managed services and end-to-end mission communications).
On 16 December 2022, the first two O3b mPOWER
O3b mPOWER is a communications satellite system owned and operated by SES. The system uses high-throughput and low- latency satellites in a medium Earth orbit (MEO), along with ground infrastructure and intelligent software, to provide multip ...
satellites were successfully launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) is an installation of the United States Space Force's Space Launch Delta 45, located on Cape Canaveral in Brevard County, Florida.
Headquartered at the nearby Patrick Space Force Base, the sta ...
in Florida at 5:48 pm local time. It is expected to take approximately six months for each satellite to reach its designated medium Earth orbit
A medium Earth orbit (MEO) is an geocentric orbit, Earth-centered orbit with an altitude above a low Earth orbit (LEO) and below a high Earth orbit (HEO) – between above sea level. and for commissioning, and the O3b mPower service to start in Q3 2023.
Recent events
In January 2023, SES announced an agreement with High View, the Munich-based owner of the Deluxe Music
Deluxe Music is a German free-to-air music television channel, operated by Just Music Fernsehbetriebs and owned by High View Holding. The channel was founded in 2004 by the German media entrepreneurs Markus Langemann and Cosmin Ene and started b ...
channel, to lease additional capacity on the Astra 19.2°E
Astra 19.2°E is the name for the group of Astra communications satellites co-located at the 19.2°East orbital position in the Clarke Belt that are owned and operated by SES based in Betzdorf, Luxembourg.
Astra 19.2°E used to be commonl ...
satellites for four new music channels, Deluxe Dance by Kontor, Deluxe Flashback, Deluxe Rock and Deluxe Rap. Aimed at German-speaking viewers in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, the new channels started on 1 February 2023 and broadcast free-to-air
Free-to-air (FTA) services are television (TV) and radio services broadcast in unencrypted form, allowing any person with the appropriate receiving equipment to receive the signal and view or listen to the content without requiring a subscri ...
. In February, High View announced that its streamed travel and documentary channels, Xplore, Hip Trips and One Terra will also broadcast free-to-air via Astra 19.2°E
Astra 19.2°E is the name for the group of Astra communications satellites co-located at the 19.2°East orbital position in the Clarke Belt that are owned and operated by SES based in Betzdorf, Luxembourg.
Astra 19.2°E used to be commonl ...
from 1 March 1, 2023.
On 26 January 2023, the Astra 2D
Astra 2D was one of the Astra communications satellites owned and operated by SES and located at 28.2° East in the geostationary orbit until June 2015. It was a Hughes Space and Communications HS-376HP satellite bus and was launched from ...
satellite was decommissioned and retired to a graveyard orbit
A graveyard orbit, also called a junk orbit or disposal orbit, is an Orbit (physics), orbit that lies away from common operational orbits. One significant graveyard orbit is a supersynchronous orbit well beyond geosynchronous orbit. Some satellit ...
more than 22 years after its launch in December 2000. Astra 2D was built for SES by Hughes Space and Communications (now Boeing Satellite Development Center
The Boeing Satellite Development Center is a major business unit of Boeing Defense, Space & Security. It brought together Boeing satellite operations with that of GM Hughes Electronics' Hughes Aircraft#Hughes Space and Communications Group, S ...
) with a design life of 15 years providing direct-to-home
Satellite television is a service that delivers television programming to viewers by relaying it from a communications satellite orbiting the Earth directly to the viewer's location.ITU Radio Regulations, Section IV. Radio Stations and Systems ...
digital TV distribution from the Astra 28.2°E orbital position. It was the last commercial spin-stabilised spacecraft built by Hughes and, at the time of its retirement, the only one still in operation.[''The end of an era: Commercial spinning spacecraft retires''](_blank)
Boeing. 26 January 2023. Accessed 26 February 2023
In February 2023, SES notified the Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, internet, wi-fi, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains j ...
(FCC) that the deployment plan for the SES-18 and SES-19 satellites (to be launched as part of the C-band clearance programme) had been revised from the FCC licence granted in March 2022. SES-18 would now be positioned at 103°W (previously to be deployed at 131°W) and SES-19 will be at 135°W (previously 103°W).[''Fleet Management Notice of SES Americom, Inc to Modify SES-18 Fixed-Satellite Space Station License'']
Federal Communications Commission 1 February 2023. Accessed 27 February 2023[''Fleet Management Notice of SES Americom, Inc to Modify SES-19 Fixed-Satellite Space Station License'']
Federal Communications Commission 1 February 2023. Accessed 27 February 2023
In March 2023, SES successfully launched the SES-18 and SES-19 satellites on a SpaceX
Space Exploration Technologies Corp., commonly referred to as SpaceX, is an America, American space technology company headquartered at the SpaceX Starbase, Starbase development site in Starbase, Texas. Since its founding in 2002, the compa ...
Falcon 9
Falcon 9 is a Reusable launch system#Partial reusable launch systems, partially reusable, two-stage-to-orbit, medium-lift launch vehicle designed and manufactured in the United States by SpaceX. The first Falcon 9 launch was on June 4, 2010, an ...
rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) is an installation of the United States Space Force's Space Launch Delta 45, located on Cape Canaveral in Brevard County, Florida.
Headquartered at the nearby Patrick Space Force Base, the sta ...
. Built by Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American multinational Aerospace manufacturer, aerospace and Arms industry, defense company. With 97,000 employees and an annual revenue in excess of $40 billion, it is one of the world's largest Arms industry ...
, the two C-band C band may refer to:
* C band (IEEE), a radio frequency band from 4 to 8 GHz
* C band (infrared), an infrared band from 1530 to 1565 nm (roughly 200 THz)
* C band (NATO)
The NATO C-band is the obsolete designation given to the radio frequen ...
GEOStar-3
The GEOStar-3 is a communications satellite spacecraft model made by Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems. GEOStar-3 represents an evolutionary growth from Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems GEOStar-2 platform. The GEOStar-3 Bus can accommodate p ...
satellites are the final satellites to be launched in SES's programme to relocate existing TV, radio, and data services to America from a portion of the C-band spectrum in accordance with the Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, internet, wi-fi, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains j ...
's plans to repurpose the frequencies for 5G networks. Three other satellites (SES-20, SES-21, and SES-22) have already been launched for the C-band clearance programme, and a sixth (SES-23) will be used as a ground spare.
In March 2023, SES confirmed that the company was in talks about a merger with rival satellite operator Intelsat
Intelsat S.A. (formerly Intel-Sat, Intelsat) is a Luxembourgish-American multinational satellite services provider with corporate headquarters in Luxembourg and administrative headquarters in Tysons, Virginia, United States. Originally formed ...
. In June 2023, it was announced that these discussions had ended.
On 28 April 2023, the third and fourth O3b mPOWER
O3b mPOWER is a communications satellite system owned and operated by SES. The system uses high-throughput and low- latency satellites in a medium Earth orbit (MEO), along with ground infrastructure and intelligent software, to provide multip ...
satellites were successfully launched by SpaceX
Space Exploration Technologies Corp., commonly referred to as SpaceX, is an America, American space technology company headquartered at the SpaceX Starbase, Starbase development site in Starbase, Texas. Since its founding in 2002, the compa ...
Falcon 9
Falcon 9 is a Reusable launch system#Partial reusable launch systems, partially reusable, two-stage-to-orbit, medium-lift launch vehicle designed and manufactured in the United States by SpaceX. The first Falcon 9 launch was on June 4, 2010, an ...
rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) is an installation of the United States Space Force's Space Launch Delta 45, located on Cape Canaveral in Brevard County, Florida.
Headquartered at the nearby Patrick Space Force Base, the sta ...
in Florida. The two high-throughput satellites will join the first two O3b mPOWER craft, launched in December 2022, in medium Earth orbit (MEO) to provide connectivity services beginning later in the year.
In June 2023, the launch of the fifth and sixth O3b mPOWER
O3b mPOWER is a communications satellite system owned and operated by SES. The system uses high-throughput and low- latency satellites in a medium Earth orbit (MEO), along with ground infrastructure and intelligent software, to provide multip ...
satellites was delayed. Previously slated for Q2 2023, their launch was now expected in July or later, to complete the six satellites in orbit required for the start of commercial service in Q3 2023 (later revised to Q4 2023, occurred April 2024).[''SES H1 2023 Results''](_blank)
SES 3 August 2023. Accessed 28 August 2023[''SES’ O3b mPOWER MEO System is Now Operational, Service Rollout to Follow''](_blank)
Via Satellite. 24 April 2024. Accessed 27 March 2025 The service will be expanded with the launch of further O3b mPOWER satellites - 7 and 8 later in 2023 (subsequently launched in December 2024), and 9, 10 and 11 in 2024 (later revised to 2025).[''2024 Results Presentation''](_blank)
SES. 26 February 2025. Accessed 27 March 2025[''Luxembourg approves program to give NATO O3b mPower access''](_blank)
Space News. 15 June 2023. Accessed 29 June 2023
In June 2023, SES announced that chief executive officer, Steve Collar was stepping down at the end of June and that Chief Technology Officer, Ruy Pinto would act as Interim CEO until a replacement was found. Subsequently, in October 2023, Adel Al-Saleh (CEO at T-Systems International
T-Systems International GmbH, Trade name, trading as T-Systems, is an internationally operating service provider for information technologies and digital transformation. The company is part of Deutsche Telekom and is headquartered in Frankfurt, Fr ...
) was appointed CEO, to take up the position in February 2024.
In June 2023, SES announced that the Luxembourg Parliament had approved funding of €195m over 10 years for the Medium Earth Orbit Global Services programme to provide capacity on SES' O3b mPOWER
O3b mPOWER is a communications satellite system owned and operated by SES. The system uses high-throughput and low- latency satellites in a medium Earth orbit (MEO), along with ground infrastructure and intelligent software, to provide multip ...
network for defence, security, and disaster recovery, to Luxembourg, its partners and NATO.
In June 2023, SES announced that the SES-18 C-band satellite became operational at 103°W and that SES-19 had reached its orbital destination at 135°W. Both satellites were launched in March 2023, the last of five SES satellites in the programme to relocate existing satellite services from a portion of the C-band spectrum in accordance with the Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, internet, wi-fi, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains j ...
's plans to repurpose the frequencies for 5G networks. With all five satellites deployed (a sixth satellite, SES-23 acts as a 'ground spare'), SES is ahead of the FCC's December 2023 deadline and in line for incentive payments.
In July 2023, SES announced that the new English-language news channel, TVRI World
TVRI World is an Indonesian television channel owned by public broadcaster TVRI, catered for domestic and international audiences. The English-language channel is currently on its trial broadcast, with its planned launching in 2024. The channe ...
from Indonesian public broadcaster, TVRI
TVRI (, Television of the Republic of Indonesia) is an Indonesian national public television network and one of Indonesia's two national Public Broadcasting Institutions, the other being the public radio network RRI. First publicly airing in ...
was broadcast in HD across Europe from the Astra 19.2°E
Astra 19.2°E is the name for the group of Astra communications satellites co-located at the 19.2°East orbital position in the Clarke Belt that are owned and operated by SES based in Betzdorf, Luxembourg.
Astra 19.2°E used to be commonl ...
position and to the Middle East via YahSat
Al Yah Satellite Communications Company P.J.S.C. (Yahsat) is a public company listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) and a subsidiary of Mubadala Investment Company PJSC, offering multi-mission satellite services in more than 150 count ...
52.5°E, with SES providing playout services, encoding, content delivery and signal monitoring.
In August 2023, SES announced that the start of commercial service of the O3b mPOWER
O3b mPOWER is a communications satellite system owned and operated by SES. The system uses high-throughput and low- latency satellites in a medium Earth orbit (MEO), along with ground infrastructure and intelligent software, to provide multip ...
system would now be by the end of 2023 (subsequently occurred in April 2024) with the launch of the fifth and sixth O3b mPOWER satellites, required for commercial service, in Q3 2023 (subsequently launched in November 2023) and that the SES-17
SES-17, is a high throughput all electric geostationary communications satellite owned and operated by SES, and designed and manufactured by Thales Alenia Space. Launched on 24 October 2021 from Centre Spatial Guyanais (CSG), in Kourou, Fren ...
high-throughput GEO
Geo- is a prefix derived from the Greek word ''γη'' or ''γαια'', meaning "earth", usually in the sense of "ground or land”.
GEO or Geo may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''GEO'' (magazine), a popular scientific magazi ...
satellite (launched 2021) and the O3b mPOWER MEO system now have a combined contract backlog of US$1.025 billion.
In September 2023, SES announced a satellite internet service for cruise lines using both SES' own O3b mPOWER
O3b mPOWER is a communications satellite system owned and operated by SES. The system uses high-throughput and low- latency satellites in a medium Earth orbit (MEO), along with ground infrastructure and intelligent software, to provide multip ...
satellites in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) and SpaceX
Space Exploration Technologies Corp., commonly referred to as SpaceX, is an America, American space technology company headquartered at the SpaceX Starbase, Starbase development site in Starbase, Texas. Since its founding in 2002, the compa ...
's Starlink
Starlink is a satellite internet constellation operated by Starlink Services, LLC, an international telecommunications provider that is a wholly owned subsidiary of American aerospace company SpaceX, providing coverage to around 130 countries ...
low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation
A satellite constellation is a group of artificial satellites working together as a system. Unlike a single satellite, a constellation can provide permanent global or near-global pass (spaceflight), coverage, such that at any time everywhere on E ...
. Integrated, sold and delivered by SES, the SES Cruise mPOWERED + Starlink service claims to combine the best features of LEO and MEO orbits to provide high-speed, secure connectivity at up to 3 Gbit/s per ship, to cruise ships anywhere in the world.
In October 2023, SES announced that power module problems identified in the first four O3b mPOWER
O3b mPOWER is a communications satellite system owned and operated by SES. The system uses high-throughput and low- latency satellites in a medium Earth orbit (MEO), along with ground infrastructure and intelligent software, to provide multip ...
satellites, already in orbit, had delayed the launch of satellites 5 and 6 until November 2023 and put back the start of commercial service of the whole medium Earth orbit
A medium Earth orbit (MEO) is an geocentric orbit, Earth-centered orbit with an altitude above a low Earth orbit (LEO) and below a high Earth orbit (HEO) – between above sea level. satellite system (requiring six satellite in orbit) to "early Q2 2024". SES said mitigations would be put in place for the initial satellites to support current and future customers, and that satellites 7 and 8 (to launch H2 2024) and 9-11 (to launch 2025) would be upgraded, and two further satellites (12–13) were to be added to the constellation. SES has a claim with insurers for $472 million relating to the O3b mPOWER satellites 1–4.
On 12 November 2023, the fifth and sixth O3b mPOWER
O3b mPOWER is a communications satellite system owned and operated by SES. The system uses high-throughput and low- latency satellites in a medium Earth orbit (MEO), along with ground infrastructure and intelligent software, to provide multip ...
satellites were successfully launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) is an installation of the United States Space Force's Space Launch Delta 45, located on Cape Canaveral in Brevard County, Florida.
Headquartered at the nearby Patrick Space Force Base, the sta ...
in Florida by SpaceX
Space Exploration Technologies Corp., commonly referred to as SpaceX, is an America, American space technology company headquartered at the SpaceX Starbase, Starbase development site in Starbase, Texas. Since its founding in 2002, the compa ...
Falcon 9
Falcon 9 is a Reusable launch system#Partial reusable launch systems, partially reusable, two-stage-to-orbit, medium-lift launch vehicle designed and manufactured in the United States by SpaceX. The first Falcon 9 launch was on June 4, 2010, an ...
rocket. The two satellites will join O3b mPOWER 1 and 2 (launched in December 2022) and O3b mPOWER 3 and 4 (launched in April 2023) in medium Earth orbit (MEO) and enable the start of the service in February 2024.[''SpaceX launches final pair of O3b mPower satellites needed for commercial services''](_blank)
SpaceNews 12 November 2023. Accessed 27 March 2025
In December 2023, SES Space & Defense agreed a five-year contract with the United States Agency for Global Media to provide transponder
In telecommunications, a transponder is a device that, upon receiving a signal, emits a different signal in response. The term is a blend of ''transmitter'' and ''responder''.
In air navigation or radio frequency identification, a flight trans ...
capacity, teleport services, internet connectivity, terrestrial backbone
The spinal column, also known as the vertebral column, spine or backbone, is the core part of the axial skeleton in vertebrates. The vertebral column is the defining and eponymous characteristic of the vertebrate. The spinal column is a segmente ...
and end-to-end monitoring and management for the delivery of shortwave AM and FM radio and television broadcasts to a global audience of more than 215 million people across 100 countries.
In February 2024, Adel Al-Saleh took up the position of SES Chief Executive Officer (following his appointment in October 2023). Interim CEO, Ruy Pinto (previously Chief Technology Officer) became Strategic Advisor to the CEO.
In February 2024, SES announced that Virgin Voyages
Virgin Voyages is a cruise line headquartered in Plantation, Florida and a joint venture between the Virgin Group and Bain Capital.
As of April 2024, Virgin Voyages has three ships in the fleet, with one more on order, all with an expected c ...
will be the first cruise line to deploy the SES Cruise mPOWERED + Starlink PRO internet service that uses both SES' O3b mPOWER
O3b mPOWER is a communications satellite system owned and operated by SES. The system uses high-throughput and low- latency satellites in a medium Earth orbit (MEO), along with ground infrastructure and intelligent software, to provide multip ...
MEO satellites and SpaceX
Space Exploration Technologies Corp., commonly referred to as SpaceX, is an America, American space technology company headquartered at the SpaceX Starbase, Starbase development site in Starbase, Texas. Since its founding in 2002, the compa ...
's Starlink
Starlink is a satellite internet constellation operated by Starlink Services, LLC, an international telecommunications provider that is a wholly owned subsidiary of American aerospace company SpaceX, providing coverage to around 130 countries ...
LEO
Leo is the Latin word for lion. It most often refers to:
* Leo (constellation), a constellation of stars in the night sky
* Leo (astrology), an astrological sign of the zodiac
* Leo (given name), a given name in several languages, usually mas ...
satellite constellation
A satellite constellation is a group of artificial satellites working together as a system. Unlike a single satellite, a constellation can provide permanent global or near-global pass (spaceflight), coverage, such that at any time everywhere on E ...
to provide cruise passengers with internet, social media and video calls at up to 1.5 Gbit/s per ship.
In April 2024, SES announced that the O3b mPOWER
O3b mPOWER is a communications satellite system owned and operated by SES. The system uses high-throughput and low- latency satellites in a medium Earth orbit (MEO), along with ground infrastructure and intelligent software, to provide multip ...
medium-Earth orbit (MEO) satellite system is operational, and services would be rolled out to customers “in the coming months”. The six O3b mPOWER satellites required for the operational start are in place, with seven more satellites, to increase the system capacity, under construction and due to launch over the next two years.
In April 2024, SES announced the acquisition of satellite operator, Intelsat
Intelsat S.A. (formerly Intel-Sat, Intelsat) is a Luxembourgish-American multinational satellite services provider with corporate headquarters in Luxembourg and administrative headquarters in Tysons, Virginia, United States. Originally formed ...
for €2.8 billion ($3.1 billion) cash, expected to complete regulatory clearance in the second half of 2025. With over 100 GEO satellites, 26 MEO satellites, and 13 satellites on order, the combined company's multi-orbit capability will improve competitiveness against rival LEO
Leo is the Latin word for lion. It most often refers to:
* Leo (constellation), a constellation of stars in the night sky
* Leo (astrology), an astrological sign of the zodiac
* Leo (given name), a given name in several languages, usually mas ...
satellite networks, and has an expected 2024 revenue of €3.8 billion. The UK Competition and Markets Authority
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is the principal competition regulator in the United Kingdom. It is a non-ministerial government department in the United Kingdom, responsible for promoting competitive markets and tackling unfair beh ...
was first to clear the acquisition in May 2025, deciding to not open an in-depth investigation.[''CMA clears SES/Intelsat merger'']
Advanced Television 29 May 2025. Accessed 1 June 2025
In May 2024, SES announced the Open Orbits Inflight Connectivity Network which combines GEO
Geo- is a prefix derived from the Greek word ''γη'' or ''γαια'', meaning "earth", usually in the sense of "ground or land”.
GEO or Geo may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''GEO'' (magazine), a popular scientific magazi ...
and MEO Ka-band
The Ka band (pronounced as either "kay-ay band" or "ka band") is a portion of the microwave part of the electromagnetic spectrum. The designation "Ka-band" is from Kurz-above, which stems from the German word ''kurz,'' meaning "short".
There ...
satellite networks of SES and independent regional operators including NEO Space Group, AeroSat Link, and Hughes Communications India, to enable inflight video and data connectivity to seamlessly move between operators as an aircraft traverses the globe. In October 2024, national airlines, Thai Airways
Thai Airways International plc () is the flag carrier airline of Thailand. Formed in 1961 as a joint venture between Scandinavian Airlines, SAS and Thai Airways Company, the airline has its corporate headquarters in Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, Chat ...
and Turkish Airlines
Turkish Airlines (Turkish language, Turkish: ''Türk Hava Yolları''), or legally Türk Hava Yolları Anonim Ortaklığı, is the flag carrier of Turkey. , it operates scheduled services to 352 destinations (including cargo) in Europe, Asia, Oce ...
selected SES Open Orbits for aircraft across their fleets.
In June 2024, Astra 1P was successfully launched from Cape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral () is a cape (geography), cape in Brevard County, Florida, in the United States, near the center of the state's Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. Officially Cape Kennedy from 1963 to 1973, it lies east of Merritt Island, separated ...
on a Falcon 9 Block 5
Falcon 9 Block 5 is a Reusable launch system#Partial reusable launch systems, partially reusable, human-rating certification, human-rated, two-stage-to-orbit, medium-lift launch vehicle designed and manufactured in the United States by SpaceX. I ...
rocket, the first Astra satellite to be launched by SpaceX
Space Exploration Technologies Corp., commonly referred to as SpaceX, is an America, American space technology company headquartered at the SpaceX Starbase, Starbase development site in Starbase, Texas. Since its founding in 2002, the compa ...
. Astra 1P was built by Thales Alenia Space
Thales Alenia Space () is a joint venture between the French technology corporation Thales Group (67%) and Italian defense conglomerate Leonardo (company), Leonardo (33%). The company is headquartered in Cannes, France.
It provides space-based ...
to be positioned at SES' prime geostationary
A geostationary orbit, also referred to as a geosynchronous equatorial orbit''Geostationary orbit'' and ''Geosynchronous (equatorial) orbit'' are used somewhat interchangeably in sources. (GEO), is a circular geosynchronous orbit in altitud ...
position of 19.2°E, replacing the four satellites currently there, to provide direct-to-home
Satellite television is a service that delivers television programming to viewers by relaying it from a communications satellite orbiting the Earth directly to the viewer's location.ITU Radio Regulations, Section IV. Radio Stations and Systems ...
broadcast TV to Europe, in particular Germany, France and Spain. Using all-electric thrusters, the satellite took several months to reach geostationary orbit. It was first positioned at 9.5° West for testing, successfully completed in December 2024, and then moved to 19.2° East to begin service in January 2025.
In October 2024, SES extended until 2029 its long-established partnership with Sky
The sky is an unobstructed view upward from the planetary surface, surface of the Earth. It includes the atmosphere of Earth, atmosphere and outer space. It may also be considered a place between the ground and outer space, thus distinct from ...
to provide multi-transponder capacity at the Astra 28.2°E orbital position to deliver satellite TV to more than 17 million households across the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland.
In October 2024, the European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
Commission
In-Commission or commissioning may refer to:
Business and contracting
* Commission (remuneration), a form of payment to an agent for services rendered
** Commission (art), the purchase or the creation of a piece of art most often on behalf of anot ...
awarded the concession contract
A concession or concession agreement is a grant of rights, land, property, or facility by a government, local authority, corporation, individual or other legal entity.
Public services such as water supply may be operated as a concession. In the ...
to develop, deploy and operate the EU's proposed secure satellite system, IRIS²
IRIS² (''Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite'') is a planned multi-orbit satellite internet constellation to be deployed by the European Union by 2027. Initial government services are expected to start in ...
(Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite), to the SpaceRISE consortium of satellite operators, SES, Hispasat
Hispasat is the operating company for a number of Spanish communications satellites that cover the Americas, Europe and North Africa from orbital positions 30.0° West and 61.0° West. It was formed in 1989 and its activities include provision ...
and Eutelsat
Eutelsat S.A. is a French satellite operator. Providing coverage over the entire European continent, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Americas, it has been the world's third-largest satellite operator in terms of revenues. Its subsidiary E ...
, and European space and telecom companies. Funded by the EU, the European Space Agency
The European Space Agency (ESA) is a 23-member International organization, international organization devoted to space exploration. With its headquarters in Paris and a staff of around 2,547 people globally as of 2023, ESA was founded in 1975 ...
and private financing, the IRIS² satellite constellation
A satellite constellation is a group of artificial satellites working together as a system. Unlike a single satellite, a constellation can provide permanent global or near-global pass (spaceflight), coverage, such that at any time everywhere on E ...
will comprise 290 satellites in multiple orbits, and start service in 2030.
On 17 December 2024, the seventh and eighth O3b mPOWER
O3b mPOWER is a communications satellite system owned and operated by SES. The system uses high-throughput and low- latency satellites in a medium Earth orbit (MEO), along with ground infrastructure and intelligent software, to provide multip ...
satellites were successfully launched from Kennedy Space Center
The John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC, originally known as the NASA Launch Operations Center), located on Merritt Island, Florida, is one of the NASA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) ten NASA facilities#List of field c ...
in Florida by SpaceX
Space Exploration Technologies Corp., commonly referred to as SpaceX, is an America, American space technology company headquartered at the SpaceX Starbase, Starbase development site in Starbase, Texas. Since its founding in 2002, the compa ...
Falcon 9
Falcon 9 is a Reusable launch system#Partial reusable launch systems, partially reusable, two-stage-to-orbit, medium-lift launch vehicle designed and manufactured in the United States by SpaceX. The first Falcon 9 launch was on June 4, 2010, an ...
rocket. The two satellites, upgraded to address power issues that hampered the previous O3b mPOWER 1-6 satellites (launched 2022–2023), reached medium Earth orbit (MEO) in April 2025, and started service in June 2025 boosting the capacity and resilience of the constellation to provide network services to customer sites across the World.[''SpaceX launches redesigned O3b mPower satellites''](_blank)
SpaceNews 18 December 2024. Accessed 27 March 2025
In March 2025, SES announced a parnership with Lynk Global
Lynk Global is an American company developing a satellite-to-mobile-phone satellite constellation that aims to provide a "cell tower in space" capability for global mobile phone service coverage, including in underserved rural areas without cell ...
to access the emerging 'direct-to-device' connectivity market, in which Low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites connect directly to unmodified mobile devices in rural areas without cellular coverage. SES will provide investment in Lynk Global as well as integrated services to relay traffic between the Lynk LEO satellite constellation and SES's O3b mPOWER
O3b mPOWER is a communications satellite system owned and operated by SES. The system uses high-throughput and low- latency satellites in a medium Earth orbit (MEO), along with ground infrastructure and intelligent software, to provide multip ...
satellites and ground systems, and telemetry, tracking, command and monitoring services. SES and Lynk will also collaborate in the development of Lynk’s network architecture and satellite manufacturing in the US and Europe.
In May 2025, SES agreed with Impulse Space
Impulse Space is a startup founded in 2021 developing in-space transportation technology and services for satellites that fly to Low Earth Orbit but then need to reach other orbits.
The company was founded by Tom Mueller, employee No.1 at SpaceX ...
to use the Helios
In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, Helios (; ; Homeric Greek: ) is the god who personification, personifies the Sun. His name is also Latinized as Helius, and he is often given the epithets Hyperion ("the one above") an ...
'kick stage' to lift SES satellites launched by a medium-lift rocket to low Earth orbit
A low Earth orbit (LEO) is an geocentric orbit, orbit around Earth with a orbital period, period of 128 minutes or less (making at least 11.25 orbits per day) and an orbital eccentricity, eccentricity less than 0.25. Most of the artificial object ...
, into their final medium Earth orbit
A medium Earth orbit (MEO) is an geocentric orbit, Earth-centered orbit with an altitude above a low Earth orbit (LEO) and below a high Earth orbit (HEO) – between above sea level. or geostationary orbit
A geostationary orbit, also referred to as a geosynchronous equatorial orbit''Geostationary orbit'' and ''Geosynchronous (equatorial) orbit'' are used somewhat interchangeably in sources. (GEO), is a circular orbit, circular geosynchronous or ...
within a few hours, instead of using a more costly heavy-lift rocket or slow, multi-month transfers using electric propulsion
Spacecraft electric propulsion (or just electric propulsion) is a type of spacecraft propulsion technique that uses electrostatic or electromagnetic fields to accelerate mass to high speed and thus generating thrust to modify the velocity of a ...
, accelerating service delivery and extending satellite lifetime. The agreement provides for multiple launches, starting in 2027.
Business and services
SES provides services through two business units, SES Media (formerly SES Video) and SES Networks, for video-centric and data-centric markets, respectively.
SES Media
(46% of revenue)
SES Media's business comprises video distribution and video services. Video distribution delivers video content via Direct-to-Home
Satellite television is a service that delivers television programming to viewers by relaying it from a communications satellite orbiting the Earth directly to the viewer's location.ITU Radio Regulations, Section IV. Radio Stations and Systems ...
, Direct-to-Cable and Internet Protocol television
Internet Protocol television (IPTV), also called TV over broadband, is the service delivery of television over Internet Protocol (IP) networks. Usually sold and run by a telecom provider, it consists of broadcast live television that is str ...
(IPTV) platforms, and includes wholly owned subsidiary HD+, the direct-to-consumer high-definition digital satellite TV
Satellite television is a service that delivers television programming to viewers by relaying it from a communications satellite orbiting the Earth directly to the viewer's location.ITU Radio Regulations, Section IV. Radio Stations and Systems ...
platform in Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
. Video services encompasses technical ground services, such as content management, playout
In broadcasting, channel playout is the generation of the source signal of a radio or television channel produced by a broadcaster, coupled with the transmission of this signal for primary distribution or direct-to-audience distribution via any ...
, encryption
In Cryptography law, cryptography, encryption (more specifically, Code, encoding) is the process of transforming information in a way that, ideally, only authorized parties can decode. This process converts the original representation of the inf ...
, satellite uplinks and interactive services, to broadcasters worldwide.
SES has been a major player in the development of the direct-to-home
Satellite television is a service that delivers television programming to viewers by relaying it from a communications satellite orbiting the Earth directly to the viewer's location.ITU Radio Regulations, Section IV. Radio Stations and Systems ...
market in Europe and the cable TV
Cable television is a system of delivering television broadcast programming, programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This ...
and Direct-broadcast satellite
Satellite television is a service that delivers television programming to viewers by relaying it from a communications satellite orbiting the Earth directly to the viewer's location.ITU Radio Regulations, Section IV. Radio Stations and Systems ...
(DBS) markets in the United States. SES satellites transmit a variety of digital formats from radio
Radio is the technology of communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 3 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmitter connec ...
to Ultra High Definition TV (UHDTV) and the company has been instrumental in defining technical standards for broadcast and interactive media.
At the end of 2022, SES satellites carried over 8000 TV channels, including more than 3000 HD and UHD channels, to more than 1 billion people in 369 million homes globally, or regionally as follows:[Investor presentation]
March 2023. Accessed 27 April 2023
In March 2022, SES reported that the breakdown of revenue to SES Video (now SES Media) by different sectors was as follows:[
]
SES Networks
(54% of revenue)
SES Networks provides capacity-on-demand and managed connectivity services in markets as follows:
*telecommunications (e.g. mobile backhaul)
*cloud computing
Cloud computing is "a paradigm for enabling network access to a scalable and elastic pool of shareable physical or virtual resources with self-service provisioning and administration on-demand," according to International Organization for ...
(e.g. Microsoft Azure Orbital)
*air travel (e.g. airline passenger entertainment)
*maritime (e.g. shipping, holiday cruises)
*remote industrial (e.g. energy, mining)
*civil government and defence (e.g. through SES Space & Defense (previously, SES Government Solutions))
*humanitarian operations (e.g. Satmed)
In particular, SES Networks uses the O3b
O3b is a satellite constellation in Medium Earth orbit (MEO) owned and operated by SES, and designed to provide lower-latency broadband connectivity to remote locations for mobile network operators and internet service providers, maritime, av ...
and O3b mPOWER
O3b mPOWER is a communications satellite system owned and operated by SES. The system uses high-throughput and low- latency satellites in a medium Earth orbit (MEO), along with ground infrastructure and intelligent software, to provide multip ...
satellites in medium Earth orbit
A medium Earth orbit (MEO) is an geocentric orbit, Earth-centered orbit with an altitude above a low Earth orbit (LEO) and below a high Earth orbit (HEO) – between above sea level. (with a latency of less than 150 ms) and SES-17 and GovSat in geostationary orbit
A geostationary orbit, also referred to as a geosynchronous equatorial orbit''Geostationary orbit'' and ''Geosynchronous (equatorial) orbit'' are used somewhat interchangeably in sources. (GEO), is a circular orbit, circular geosynchronous or ...
.[
In March 2022, SES reported that the breakdown of revenue to SES Networks by different sectors was as follows:][
]
Business reach
SES has customers across the World, with revenue by country in 2023 (according to clients' billing addresses) as follows:[''Annual Report 2023''](_blank)
SES S.A. 29 February 2024. Accessed 27 March 2024
Innovations
SES has pioneered many industry technological developments, including DTH transmission, co-location of satellites, free-to-air
Free-to-air (FTA) services are television (TV) and radio services broadcast in unencrypted form, allowing any person with the appropriate receiving equipment to receive the signal and view or listen to the content without requiring a subscri ...
broadcast neighbourhoods, digital broadcasting
Digital broadcasting is the practice of using digital signals rather than analogue signals for broadcasting over radio frequency bands (radio broadcasting). Digital television broadcasting (especially satellite television) is widespread. Digital ...
, HDTV
High-definition television (HDTV) describes a television or video system which provides a substantially higher image resolution than the previous generation of technologies. The term has been used since at least 1933; in more recent times, it ref ...
[''High Above – The untold story of Astra, Europe's leading satellite company'' Broadgate Publications April 2010] and 3DTV
3D television (3DTV) is television that conveys depth perception to the viewer by employing techniques such as stereoscopic display, multi-view display, or any other form of 3D display. Most modern 3D television sets use an active shutter 3 ...
. SES has also helped develop innovative reception technology such as the first home dish LNBFs, Universal LNBs, optical fibre signal distribution and the Sat-IP
SAT>IP (or Sat-IP) specifies an IP-based client–server communication protocol for a TV gateway in which SAT>IP servers, connected to one or more DVB broadcast sources, send the program selected and requested by an SAT>IP client o ...
system for receiving and distributing satellite signals over home computer networks.
SES has pioneered the broadcast of Ultra High Definition TV (UHDTV) and helped to establish the international technical standards for UHDTV broadcast and reception. SES first produced demonstration UHDTV broadcasts in 2012, transmitted the first HEVC
High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), also known as H.265 and MPEG-H Part 2, is a video compression standard designed as part of the MPEG-H project as a successor to the widely used Advanced Video Coding (AVC, H.264, or MPEG-4 Part 10). In co ...
-standard UHDTV in 2013, via Astra 19.2° East
Astra (Latin for "stars") may refer to:
People
* Astra (name)
Places
* Astra, Chubut, a village in Argentina
* Astra (Isauria), a town of ancient Isauria, now in Turkey
* Astra, one suggested name for a hypothetical fifth planet that became t ...
, and the first next generation 8K Ultra HD demo in May 2018, via the Astra 3B
Astra 3B is one of the Astra communications satellites owned and operated by SES, launched in 2010 to the Astra 23.5°E orbital position providing digital television and radio for direct-to-home (DTH), and the AstraConnect two-way satellit ...
satellite at 23.5°E. SES broadcast the first live UHDTV satellite broadcast in November 2014 (Linkin Park
Linkin Park is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Agoura Hills, California, in 1996. The band's current lineup consists of vocalist/rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Mike Shinoda, lead guitarist Brad Delson, DJ/turntablist Joe Hahn, bass ...
’s concert at the O2 World in Berlin) and Europe's first free-to-air Ultra HD channel, Pearl TV, launched in September 2015 via Astra 19.2° East
Astra (Latin for "stars") may refer to:
People
* Astra (name)
Places
* Astra, Chubut, a village in Argentina
* Astra (Isauria), a town of ancient Isauria, now in Turkey
* Astra, one suggested name for a hypothetical fifth planet that became t ...
A continuous UHDTV demonstration channel has broadcast to Europe from SES's Astra 19.2° East
Astra (Latin for "stars") may refer to:
People
* Astra (name)
Places
* Astra, Chubut, a village in Argentina
* Astra (Isauria), a town of ancient Isauria, now in Turkey
* Astra, one suggested name for a hypothetical fifth planet that became t ...
satellite position since 2014 and SES now delivers 12 demo channels via its main orbital positions across the globe. As of 2020, SES was broadcasting over 50 Ultra HD channels worldwide.
SES-8
SES-8 is a geostationary Communications satellite operated by SES SES-8 was successfully launched on SpaceX Falcon 9 v1.1 on 3 December 2013, 22:41:00 UTC.
It was the first flight of any SpaceX launch vehicle to a supersynchronous transfer ...
was the first geostationary satellite to be launched (in 2013) by SpaceX
Space Exploration Technologies Corp., commonly referred to as SpaceX, is an America, American space technology company headquartered at the SpaceX Starbase, Starbase development site in Starbase, Texas. Since its founding in 2002, the compa ...
.[''Creating Space - The Satellite Revolution''](_blank)
SES white paper. March 2015. Retrieved 22 February 2018 The SES-10
SES-10, is a geostationary communications satellite awarded in February 2014, owned and operated by SES and designed and manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space on the Eurostar-3000 satellite bus. It is positioned at the 67° West position t ...
satellite was launched in March 2017 (delayed from October 2016 due to a pad explosion and subsequent loss of a Falcon 9 booster in September 2016) on the first SpaceX launch with a 'flight-proven' (reused) Falcon first stage, recovered from a previous launch. The SES-12, SES-14 and SES-15 satellites (launched in June 2018, January 2018 and May 2017, respectively) are constructed with an electric plasma propulsion system for orbit raising and in-orbit manoeuvres to save weight and enable a larger communications payload to be included. SES reckons that SES-12 would weigh some 4700 kg more with a conventional chemical propulsion system
Spacecraft propulsion is any method used to accelerate spacecraft and artificial satellites. In-space propulsion exclusively deals with propulsion systems used in the vacuum of space and should not be confused with space launch or atmospheric e ...
.
SES operates the world’s first multi-orbit communications satellite network, combining geostationary orbit
A geostationary orbit, also referred to as a geosynchronous equatorial orbit''Geostationary orbit'' and ''Geosynchronous (equatorial) orbit'' are used somewhat interchangeably in sources. (GEO), is a circular orbit, circular geosynchronous or ...
satellites’ wide coverage and reliability, and a medium Earth orbit
A medium Earth orbit (MEO) is an geocentric orbit, Earth-centered orbit with an altitude above a low Earth orbit (LEO) and below a high Earth orbit (HEO) – between above sea level. satellite constellation
A satellite constellation is a group of artificial satellites working together as a system. Unlike a single satellite, a constellation can provide permanent global or near-global pass (spaceflight), coverage, such that at any time everywhere on E ...
's low latency and high data throughput. In conjunction with Kythera Space Solutions, SES developed Adaptive Resource Control (ARC) software to dynamically control and optimise power, throughput, and beam and frequency allocation across the multi-orbit network of the O3b
O3b is a satellite constellation in Medium Earth orbit (MEO) owned and operated by SES, and designed to provide lower-latency broadband connectivity to remote locations for mobile network operators and internet service providers, maritime, av ...
and O3b mPOWER
O3b mPOWER is a communications satellite system owned and operated by SES. The system uses high-throughput and low- latency satellites in a medium Earth orbit (MEO), along with ground infrastructure and intelligent software, to provide multip ...
medium Earth orbit satellite system, and SES-17
SES-17, is a high throughput all electric geostationary communications satellite owned and operated by SES, and designed and manufactured by Thales Alenia Space. Launched on 24 October 2021 from Centre Spatial Guyanais (CSG), in Kourou, Fren ...
and future geostationary high-throughput satellite
A high-throughput satellite (HTS) is a communications satellite which provides more throughput than a classic fixed service satellite (FSS). An HTS provides at least twice, though usually 20 times or more, throughput for the same amount of allocat ...
s.
SES is the first commercial customer for Space Infrastructure Servicing (SIS) future satellite life extension mission, following an agreement in June 2017 with MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates
MDA Space Ltd. is a Canadian space technology company headquartered in Brampton, Ontario, Canada, that provides geointelligence, robotics and space operations, and satellite systems.
History
MDA Space (formerly MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associat ...
(MDA). The SIS craft was being built by Space Systems/Loral
SSL, formerly Space Systems/Loral, LLC (SS/L), of Palo Alto, California, is a wholly owned manufacturing subsidiary of Maxar Technologies.
SSL designs and builds satellites and space systems for a wide variety of government and commercial cust ...
(SSL), a manufacturing subsidiary of MDA, for the United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is a research and development agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the development of emerging technologies for use by the military. Originally known as the Adva ...
(DARPA)'s Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites (RSGS) programme, and will refuel an SES satellite running low on propellant while still in orbit to lengthen its service life. SSL (as Maxar) abandoned the DARPA contract in 2019.
Quantum Key Distribution via satellite will be demonstrated using future LEO optical satellite Eagle-1, planned for 2026.
Corporate structure
Corporate management
SES is managed by the executive team, which comprises:
* Adel Al-Saleh - Chief Executive Officer
* Ruy Pinto - Strategic Advisor to the CEO
* Nadine Allen - Global Head of Enterprise & Cloud*
* Dr Xavier Bertrán - Chief Product & Innovation Officer
* David Fields - Global Head of Space and Defense
* John-Paul Hemingway - Chief Commercial Officer
* Veronika Ivanovic - Chief People Officer
* Sandeep Jalan - Chief Financial Officer
* Fabien Loeffler - Chief Transformation Officer
* Simon Maher - Global Head of Maritime
* Deepak Mathur - Global Head of Media
* Greg Orton - Chief M&A and Development Officer
* Thai Rubin - Chief Legal Officer
* Andrew Ruszkowski - Global Head of Aviation
* Nihar Shah - Chief Strategy Officer
* Milton Torres - Chief Technology Officer
In 2002, then CEO, Romain Bausch was awarded 'Satellite Executive of the Year'. In 2019, then CEO, Steve Collar was awarded 'Satellite Executive of the Year'.
Satellite fleet
The following active satellites are owned and operated by SES, .
Future satellite launches
Hosted payloads
SES is active in the hosted payload A hosted payload is a module attached to a commercial satellite with communications circuitry that operates independently of the main spacecraft but which shares the satellite's power supply and transponders.
The concept has been also been referred ...
market, selling space on planned and under-construction satellites to governments and institutions. SES-2
SES-2 is a communications satellite operated by SES. It was launched alongside the Arabsat-5C satellite.
Spacecraft
The platform is home to the first hosted payload, a mechanism by which governmental entities can fly modules on commercial ...
(launched September 2011) carries the US Air Force's Commercially Hosted Infrared Payload (CHIRP), a wide field-of-view, passive infrared sensor to provide early warning of missile launches, the first time a US Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
payload has been hosted on a commercial mission.
The SES-5
SES-5 (also known as Astra 4B and Sirius 5) is a commercial geostationary communication satellite operated by SES It was launched on 9 July 2012. The launch was arranged by International Launch Services (ILS).
History
In October 2008, SE ...
and Astra 5B satellites (launched July 2012 and March 2014, respectively) incorporate European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service
The European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) is a satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS) developed by the European Space Agency and Eurocontrol on behalf of the European Commission. Currently, it supplements GPS by reportin ...
(EGNOS) payloads, a supplementary network to the Global Positioning System
The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based hyperbolic navigation system owned by the United States Space Force and operated by Mission Delta 31. It is one of the global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) that provide ge ...
(GPS) and GLONASS
GLONASS (, ; ) is a Russian satellite navigation system operating as part of a radionavigation-satellite service. It provides an alternative to Global Positioning System (GPS) and is the second navigational system in operation with global cove ...
navigation systems.
SES-15
SES-15 is a geostationary orbit, geostationary communications satellite operated by SES (company), SES and designed and manufactured by Boeing Satellite Systems. It has a mass of and has a design life of at least 15 years.
See also
* SES (c ...
(launched May 2017) includes the Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is a Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government agency within the United States Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation that regulates civil aviation in t ...
(FAA) Wide Area Augmentation System
The Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) is an air navigation aid developed by the Federal Aviation Administration to augment the Global Positioning System (GPS), with the goal of improving its accuracy, integrity, and availability. Essentia ...
(WAAS) air navigation aid to augment the Global Positioning System (GPS), with the goal of improving its accuracy, integrity and availability.
SES-14
SES-14 is a geostationary communications satellite operated by SES at 47.5° West, replaces NSS-806, and designed and manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space. The satellite launched on 25 January 2018 at 22:20 UTC along with the Global-scal ...
(launched January 2018) hosts the Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) mission for NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...
to investigate the Sun's impact on the Earth's thermosphere and ionosphere.''GOLD''
NASA mission website. Accessed 28 April 2018
Teleports
SES, and its subsidiary companies has teleports across the world, including:
SES Space & Defense (previously SES Government Solutions) operates Earth stations at the following United States Government locations:
See also
* Astra satellite family
* HD+
*O3b
O3b is a satellite constellation in Medium Earth orbit (MEO) owned and operated by SES, and designed to provide lower-latency broadband connectivity to remote locations for mobile network operators and internet service providers, maritime, av ...
*O3b mPOWER
O3b mPOWER is a communications satellite system owned and operated by SES. The system uses high-throughput and low- latency satellites in a medium Earth orbit (MEO), along with ground infrastructure and intelligent software, to provide multip ...
* Companies now merged into SES
** MX1
** O3b Networks
O3b Networks Ltd. was a network communications service provider building and operating a medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellite constellation primarily intended to provide voice and data communications to mobile operators and Internet service prov ...
** SES Americom
SES Americom was a major commercial satellite operator of North American geosynchronous satellites based in the United States. The company started as RCA Americom in 1975 before being bought by General Electric in 1986 and then later acquired ...
** SES Platform Services
SES Platform Services GmbH (previously ASTRA Platform Services GmbH, later MX1, now part of SES Video) was a subsidiary company of SES (owner and operator of the Astra satellites) based in Betzdorf, Luxembourg. From its headquarters in Unterf ...
** SES Sirius
** SES World Skies
SES World Skies was a short lived company formed as a result of the merger between the two SES subsidiaries, ''SES Americom'' and ''SES New Skies''. The company was merged into its parent company, SES in 2011.
History
SES Americom
SES ...
References
External links
*
SES fleet information and map
SpaceX Falcon 9 SES-9 Mission Briefing
Martin Halliwell, chief technology officer, 23 February 2016. Includes strategic and technical outlook.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ses S.A.
Telecommunications companies of Luxembourg
Direct broadcast satellite services
Betzdorf, Luxembourg
Telecommunications companies established in 2001
Communications satellite operators
2001 establishments in Luxembourg
Multinational companies headquartered in Luxembourg
Companies listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange
Companies listed on Euronext Paris
Companies in the LuxX Index
Companies in the S&P Europe 350 Dividend Aristocrats