Northrop Grumman Awarded Contract from SES for Two C-band Satellites

• Northrop Grumman Awarded Contract from SES for Two C-band Satellites by jacqmans on 23 Jun, 2020 13:25
• Northrop Grumman Awarded Contract from SES for Two C-band Satellites
  
  News Releases
  
  DULLES, Va. – June 23, 2020 – Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) has been selected by SES to build two C-band satellites that will operate in the upper portion of the spectrum. This award supports the Federal Communication Commission’s order to make the lower portion of C-band spectrum available to mobile network operators to further the rollout of critical 5G services in the United States.
  
  “This award demonstrates SES’s continued confidence in our GEOStar satellite platform and the excellent relationship that has been developed over the years between our two companies,” said Amer Khouri, vice president, communication missions, Northrop Grumman. “These will be the 8th and 9th GEO communications satellites built for SES by Northrop Grumman, and will continue our legacy of delivering quality spacecraft that support our customer’s most critical needs.”
  
  “The timeline to build and launch these C-band satellites is ambitious, and we are fully committed and proud to be working with our long-time American partner Northrop Grumman to build these two satellites in the United States for the millions of cable TV households across the country, while clearing spectrum as quickly as possible for 5G use,” said Steve Collar, CEO of SES.
  
  The C-band satellites are set to launch in 2022.
  
  https://news.northropgrumman.com/news/releases/northrop-grumman-awarded-contract-from-ses-for-two-c-band-satellites

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• #1 by jacqmans on 23 Jun, 2020 13:31
• SES Selects Two U.S. Companies to Build Four New Satellites as Part of Accelerated C-Band Clearing Plan
  
  Northrop Grumman and the Boeing Company to manufacture and assemble the C-band only satellites in Dulles, Virginia and in Los Angeles, California
  
  Luxembourg, 16 June 2020 – SES, the leader in global content connectivity solutions, announces it has selected two U.S. satellite manufacturers, Northrop Grumman and the Boeing Company, to deliver four new satellites as part of the company’s accelerated C-band clearing plan to meet the Federal Communications Commission’s objectives to roll-out 5G services.
  
  Northrop 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.
  
  SES is committed to investing in America by procuring services and equipment needed for the C-band transition from large and small businesses across the U.S., and these significant partnerships with Northrop Grumman and the Boeing Company are cornerstones of that commitment.
  
  “Given the FCC’s strong leadership in providing for accelerated clearing of precious C-band spectrum in the U.S., our focus is on delivering on our commitment and making the spectrum available in the shortest possible time while ensuring that we protect the broadcast customers and communities that we have built over 35 years,” said Steve Collar, CEO at SES. “To meet our deadlines to clear C-band spectrum, we have selected established American satellite manufacturers in Northrop Grumman and Boeing with their focus on heritage, reliability and minimal risk to build these four satellites, enabling us to fully support the FCC’s 5G Fast initiative.”
  
  https://www.ses.com/press-release/ses-selects-two-us-companies-build-four-new-satellites-part-accelerated-c-band