SES invests €34m in ground facilities
April 26, 2011
By Chris Forrester
SES executives have laid the foundation stone at a new €34 million satellite control centre at its Betzdorf, Luxembourg headquarters. The expansion plans will also see an additional business centre constructed at Betzdorf.
The construction project will include a new Technical Building with associated office space to handle future needs for SES’ expanding global satellite fleet of 44 satellites, and an extended antennae field.
The new facilities will also host the Satellite Operations Centre (SOC) for satellite infrastructure start-up O3b, whose MEO (Mid Earth Orbit) constellation of initially eight spacecraft will be flown out of Betzdorf starting 2013. Next to the new 5,000+ square metre Technical Building, the extended antennae field will be capable of holding up to 40 large scale satellite communications dishes with the ability to cover an orbital arc over Europe stretching from 62 degrees West to 70 degrees East.
SES is also investing in a new 3,500 square metre energy-efficient Business Centre for developing SES divisions, and to host third-party activities on the Betzdorf Mediaport.
The SES investment is accompanied by a significant investment from the Luxembourg Government and the Commune of Betzdorf, whose contributions will add 3.2 kilometres of roads, water, gas, electricity and vital communications lines to the Betzdorf site, and will be complemented by a new local power grid station and water tower.