SpaceX has entered into a deal with US-based satellite operator SES to launch the latter’s SES-10 communication satellite on a refurbished Falcon 9 rocket booster.

Planned to occur by the end of this year, the launch will mark the first commercial reuse of the lower stage and nine main engines of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

Once launched, SES-10 will be positioned in a geostationary orbit and expand SES’s capabilities across Latin America.

SES chief technology officer Martin Halliwell said: “We believe reusable rockets will open up a new era of spaceflight, and make access to space more efficient in terms of cost and manifest management.

“This new agreement reached with SpaceX once again illustrates the faith we have in their technical and operational expertise."

“This new agreement reached with SpaceX once again illustrates the faith we have in their technical and operational expertise. The due diligence the SpaceX team has demonstrated throughout the design and testing of the SES-10 mission launch vehicle gives us full confidence that SpaceX is capable of launching our first SES satellite dedicated to Latin America into space.”

Currently being built by Airbus Defence and Space, the satellite will be used for the Simón Bolivar 2 satellite network under a previous deal with the Andean Community, which includes Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.

Entirely dedicated to Latin America, the SES-10 will replace the existing capacity provided by SES’s AMC-3 and AMC-4 satellites and bring more capacity to Mexico, Central America, South America and the Caribbean.

SpaceX president and CEO Gwynne Shotwell said: “Relaunching a rocket that has already delivered spacecraft to orbit is an important milestone on the path to complete and rapid reusability.

“SES has been a strong supporter of SpaceX’s approach to reusability over the years and we’re delighted that the first launch of a flight-proven rocket will carry SES-10.”

In order to perform on-orbit manoeuvres, SES-10 will use an electric plasma propulsion system and a chemical system for initial orbit raising and additional manoeuvres.

Image: Artist’s rendering of SES-10 satellite. Photo: courtesy of SES.