Content connectivity solutions provider SES has announced that SpaceX will provide launch capability for up to three of its C-band satellites over two launches as part of the company’s accelerated C-band clearing plan.
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket will launch two C-band satellites built by Northrop Grumman as well as provide enhanced protection to rapidly launch a contingency satellite from Cape Canaveral, Florida in 2022 allowing SES to meet FCC’s time-critical objective to roll out 5G services across the US.
In June, SES announced it contracted American companies Northrop Grumman and the Boeing Company to deliver four C-band satellites in accordance with SES’s accelerated C-band clearing plan. These satellites will enable SES to clear 280MHz of mid-band spectrum for 5G use while migrating SES’s existing C-band customers and ensuring the continued delivery of digital television to nearly 120m American TV homes and other critical data services.
“Clearing mid-band spectrum and protecting our broadcast customers to ensure business continuity is a significant undertaking and we absolutely need to be working with the right partners,” said Steve Collar, CEO at SES. “We have a deep and trusted relationship with SpaceX having been the first to launch a commercial satellite with them and subsequently the first commercial company to adopt the flight-proven booster and we could not be more confident in their ability to deliver on this time-critical mission.”
SpaceX President and Chief Operating Officer Gwynne Shotwell noted: “SES is one of SpaceX’s most-valued partners, and we are proud of their continued trust in our capabilities to reliably deliver their satellites to orbit. We are excited to once again play a role in executing SES’s solutions to meet their customers’ needs.”
Add Comment