Pair of O3b/mPOWER satellites ready for launch
December 10, 2024
By Chris Forrester

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to launch two O3b/mPOWER satellites into orbit of December 13th for Luxembourg-based satellite operator SES.
The launch will take place from Kennedy Space Center subject to the usual weather limitations. Launch time will open at 12.55 Florida time.
Both satellites feature redesigned payload power modules from Boeing and will join the first six O3b mPOWER satellites already in operation at medium earth orbit (MEO). The two additional satellites will bolster the second-generation MEO system to continue delivering high-quality connectivity services. The two craft arrived at Cape Canaveral on December 3rd.
SES has been deploying O3b mPOWER services worldwide since April 2024, with the system’s core infrastructure deployed, tested and in use on a global basis.
Meanwhile, SES has won a ‘Blanket Purchase Agreement’ contract from the US Department for Defence with a potential value of $117 million (€111.09m) for the operator’s “multi-orbit, multi-band satellite capabilities”.