SES Selects SpaceX for Launch of New C-Band SatellitesLuxembourg, 5 August 2020 – SES, the leader in global content connectivity solutions, announced today that American launch provider SpaceX will provide launch capability for up to 3 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 the Federal Communications Commission’s time-critical objective to roll out 5G services across the United States.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 seamlessly migrating SES’s existing C-band customers and ensuring the continued delivery of digital television to nearly 120 million American TV homes and other critical data services.In the last few months, SES has been increasingly working with U.S. businesses across the country and investing in America in the C-band transition plan, and its long-standing relationship with SpaceX signifies its latest commitment to the U.S. SpaceX has launched six SES satellites in the last seven years....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.”
SES Selects Two U.S. Companies to Build Four New Satellites as Part of Accelerated C-Band Clearing PlanJune 16, 2020Northrop Grumman will deliver two flight-proven GeoStar-3 satellites, each equipped with a high-quality C-band payload to deliver the superior customer experience that end users are accustomed to. The two satellites – SES-18 and SES-19 – will be designed, assembled and tested in Dulles, Virginia.The Boeing Company will deliver a pair of highly efficient all-electric 702SP satellites. The two satellites – SES-20 and SES-21 – will be manufactured and assembled in Los Angeles, California.These four C-band only new satellites will enable SES to clear 280 MHz of mid-band spectrum for 5G use while seamlessly migrating SES’s existing C-band customers. Each satellite will have 10 primary transponders of 36 MHz plus back-up tubes so they can enable the broadcast delivery of digital television to more than 120 million TV homes as well as provide critical data services. The satellites, when launched in Q3 2022, will be positioned at 103 degrees West, 131 degrees West and 135 degrees West orbital slots. The cost of manufacturing these four satellites is part of the USD 1.6 billion investment envelope that SES has announced in May.
Will these be on the same launch, or two different launches?
Construction of the satellites is well under way, and SES currently expects to launch all four spacecraft during the third quarter of 2022.
SES-18 mass is 1139 kg & SES-19 is 1280 kg
Quote from: StraumliBlight on 09/10/2021 02:40 pm SES-18 mass is 1139 kg & SES-19 is 1280 kgIs that at end of life?
https://www.ses.com/sites/default/files/2022-02/SES%20Full%20Year%202021%20Results_0.pdf
https://fcc.report/IBFS/SAT-RPL-20210812-00099...
Two more C-band satellites — SES 18 and 19 built by Northrop Grumman — will launch together on a single Falcon 9 rocket around the end of the year.
Not much new to SES-18/19, C-Band Q2 2022 Report [June 30]:Quote...SES-18 and SES-19 will not be available for launch before November 2022 at the earliest due to a number of manufacturing delays. Assuming the current SES-18 and SES-19 schedule is maintained, SES now expects SES-18 and SES-19 to start commercial service by end of December 2022 / Q1 2023. ...The launch slot selection for SES-18 and SES-19 is still to be confirmed.
...SES-18 and SES-19 will not be available for launch before November 2022 at the earliest due to a number of manufacturing delays. Assuming the current SES-18 and SES-19 schedule is maintained, SES now expects SES-18 and SES-19 to start commercial service by end of December 2022 / Q1 2023. ...The launch slot selection for SES-18 and SES-19 is still to be confirmed.
...While the SpaceX F9 launcher for SES-22 was available in June 2022, the F9 launcher for SES-18 and SES-19 will not be available before January 2023 due to the delays from the original Northrop Grumman delivery and priority of US government launches. Assuming the current Northrop Grumman delivery schedule for SES-18 and SES-19 is maintained, SES expects SES-18 and SES-19 to start commercial service by April 2023. ...As described above, the Northrop Grumman satellites, SES-18 and SES-19, have experienced manufacturing delays. Since our last report, we have also been informed by SpaceX that the earliest available launch opportunity for SES-18 and SES-19 is Q1 2023 as a result of higher priority US government launches scheduled for Q4 2022. Because of these delays, which are beyond SES’s control, there is a significant risk SES-18 and SES-19 will not be commercially available until the beginning of Q2 2023....Construction by Thales of the second ground spare, SES-23, began on June 1, 2021 and is expected to be delivered in March 2023. Subject to the successful launch and deployment of all necessary C-band transition satellites, SES-23 may become unused....The Northrop Grumman SES-18 and SES-19 satellites are expected to be launched in Q1 2023; however the launch slot week is still to be confirmed by SpaceX. The launcher for SES-23 has not been contracted.
SES CEO Steve Collar recently said he expects SpaceX will launch its final two C-band satellites late this year or early next.
SES-18 and SES-19 are expected to launch together on March 6, 2023. Intelsat expects the LEOP and IOT period to last approximately 30 days.
QuoteSES-18 and SES-19 are expected to launch together on March 6, 2023. Intelsat expects the LEOP and IOT period to last approximately 30 days.
