Weather permitting, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch SES-12 on June 1st from Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral.

Built for SES by Airbus Defence & Space, SES-12 will replace NSS-6 and be co-located with SES-8 at 95 degrees East and expanding DTH and other connectivity over India, as well as Eastern Europe and the Middle East, and offering coverage as far as Australia, Japan and South East Asia.

The Falcon 9 rocket launch is the 6th flight SpaceX has carried out for SES. Falcon 9 will be a ‘full thrust’ version and the craft’s first stage was previously flown on Sept 7, 2017 (for the Boeing X-37B space plane).

SES-12 is a heavyweight satellite and designed to operate in the Ku and Ka bands with a total of 76 active transponders, and will be equipped with eight antennas. It will have a launch weight of 11,685 pounds (5,300 kg), the largest of any SES satellite to date, and an electric power capability of about 19 kW. Its electric propulsion system should enable it to reach its geostationary orbit in three to six months. SES-12 has been designed to remain in service on orbit for about 18 years.

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