SES-14

SpaceX has secured a contract from SES to launch SES-14 and SES-16 / GovSat aboard its Falcon 9 rocket in 2017.

The contract to SpaceX emerged after SES selected Airbus Defence and Space to build an SES-14 communications satellite and Orbital ATK for SES-16 / GovSat.

SES chief technology officer Martin Halliwell said: "SpaceX is an important launch partner to realise our new fleet investment and growth programme.

"With SpaceX, we share the mission of innovating the space segment and technology, achieving step changes in the design and economics of launchers, and leveraging them to the advantage of our satellites, their profile, flexibility and performance, and, above all, our customers."

Planned to operate at 47.5 / 48°W, SES-14 will replace SES’s satellite NSS-806, and allow the company to offer C- and Ku-band wide beam coverage and Ku- and Ka-band high throughput satellite (HTS) coverage across the Americas and the North Atlantic.

"The satellite will incorporate an electric plasma propulsion system for orbit raising and in-orbit manoeuvres."

The satellite will incorporate an electric plasma propulsion system for orbit raising and in-orbit manoeuvres.

Multi-spot Ku- and Ka-band beams on SES-14 will offer additional throughput capacity, and are ideal for traffic-intensive data applications.

The SES-14 will support direct-to-home and direct-to-cable video, and existing VSAT services with additional capacity.

SES-16 / GovSat will be operated by LuxGovSat, a joint venture of SES and the Luxembourg government, to serve various government-specific missions across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

The multi-mission satellite uses military frequencies and will be positioned at 21.5°E.

SES’ next satellite, SES-9, is scheduled for launch later this year on Falcon 9. The spacecraft will be co-located with the existing SES-7 and NSS-11 satellites to provide incremental, as well as replacement capacity.

Image: The SES-14 satellite will support direct-to-home and direct-to-cable video, and existing VSAT services. Photo: courtesy of Business Wire / SES SA.