TAMPA, Fla. — SpaceX successfully deployed a fifth pair of O3b mPower broadband satellites July 22 for SES’ next-generation medium Earth orbit (MEO) constellation.
Manufacturer Boeing said both satellites are healthy and transmitting signals as they begin a 130-day journey to their orbital slots in MEO, after launching aboard a Falcon 9 at 5:12 p.m. Eastern from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.
SpaceX landed the rocket’s first stage booster on a droneship shortly after liftoff for future reuse.
The remaining three O3b mPower satellites under Boeing’s 13-unit contract are currently being manufactured and slated to launch together next year.
According to SES, the completed constellation will deliver up to three times more capacity than the current network by 2027, with each spacecraft capable of providing throughput in the multi-gigabit-per-second range, roughly 10 times more than its first-generation O3b MEO system of 20 satellites.
“We designed O3b mPower so each additional satellite beyond the first six boosts capacity, performance, and resilience,” Boeing Space Mission Systems vice president Michelle Parker said in a statement.
“This capability stems from our investments in cutting-edge technology and the enhanced production techniques we’ve refined over the course of the program.”
Electrical issues on the first six satellites had also hampered performance, prompting Boeing to redesign power modules for subsequent units. While a geomagnetic storm last year reduced radiation levels affecting the constellation, SES says the environment is gradually returning to its previous state.
SES has submitted a $472 million insurance claim related to the impaired satellites.
The Luxembourg-based operator plans to scale its MEO network into the hundreds of satellites over the coming years after recently completing its acquisition of rival Intelsat, SES CEO Adel Al-Saleh told SpaceNews.