O3b mPOWER satellites ready at the Cape
April 13, 2023
By Chris Forrester
SES has reported that its two O3b mPOWER satellites, built by Boeing, have arrived at Cape Canaveral and are now being readied for launch by SpaceX. The two craft are Number 3 and 4 in the mPOWER fleet.
The pair of satellites will join the first two O3b/mPOWER satellites that have arrived at medium earth orbit (or 8,000km above the Earth’s surface) and are currently undergoing testing before being brought into service.
SES’s O3b mPOWER system will only need six satellites to deliver global high-performance connectivity services. The current expected launch date is April 28th, but that date could change subject to the usual weather and technical considerations.
“As we get ready to launch the next pair of O3b mPOWER satellites in the coming weeks, we are excited to have them join the first two satellites which are currently undergoing rigorous testing as they arrive at their target medium earth orbit,” said Ruy Pinto, CTO at SES. “The early indications from our test programme are that the O3b mPOWER system will more than fulfill the expectations of our customers. We will be delivering networks that offer the industry’s best throughput, high availability and predictable performance that are essential for our customers’ critical applications and creating new business opportunities for SES.”
Boeing is contracted to deliver eleven O3b/mPOWER satellites to SES. The O3b/mPOWER satellites are all-digital with a 702X software-driven payload, providing customers the flexibility and unique advantage to change services and markets to meet data demands.