Thales Alenia Space will build SES-22 and SES-23 satellites07 Aug 2020Thales Alenia Space Telecommunications satellitesCannes, 7 August, 2020 – Thales Alenia Space, a joint-venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), announced that it has signed a contract with SES to build SES-22 and SES-23, geostationary communications satellites. These two new satellites are designed to provide digital broadcasting services over North America.Thales Alenia Space will be responsible for the design, production, testing of the satellites and support of the payload in-orbit acceptance tests. SES-22 and SES-23 are based on the proven Spacebus 4000 B2 platform and will be 3.5-ton class satellites at launch.These satellites are the 11th and 12th satellites based on the Spacebus 4000 B2 platform to be built by Thales Alenia Space. The two satellites will help SES meet the Federal Communications Commission’s accelerated C-band clearing deadlines in the United States and will contribute to the effort to clear spectrum necessary to roll out 5G in the United States.Hervé Derrey, President and Chief Executive Officer of Thales Alenia Space, said “The robustness and flight proven heritage of our Spacebus 4000 B2 platform, combined with our ability to timely and quickly deliver SES-22 and SES-23, have been key elements leading to the decision of SES working with us to replace its existing C-Band fleet. This demonstrates Thales Alenia Space’s expertise in developing tailored solutions that meet each operator’s specific needs to clear the C-Band spectrum.”
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.
...To provide assurance to customers that it can maintain service continuity, and consistent with its August 2020 Transition Plan, SES contracted with Thales Alenia Space France in June 2020 to manufacture two ground spares. The manufacturing of the first ground spare satellite (SES-22) started immediately in order to be ready for launch within a few weeks after any potential launch failure of one of the first two dual launches (described below). The manufacturing of the second ground spare (SES-23) began on June 1, 2021, consistent with the SES contingency fleet plan. Subject to the successful launch and deployment of the first four satellites included in this Transition Plan, SES will then determine whether or not to finalize the second ground spare program and will seek reimbursement only for the costs incurred until that moment for the second ground spare program, including termination liability. ...
So there should already be a launch contract for the first ground spare SES-22. Is there anything known?
Quote from: GWR64 on 08/13/2021 07:50 pmSo there should already be a launch contract for the first ground spare SES-22. Is there anything known?I haven't heard anything, but I would guess they paid something to get an option in one or both of their launch contracts for another flight in the appropriate time period if it's needed. The penalty for missing the deployment deadline is huge.
...QuoteSES 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....”...
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....”
I'm missing where the launch provider was announced.
So we don't actually know that this is flying with SpaceX?
Thales Alenia Space said it will build the SES-22 and SES-23 television broadcast satellites using its Spacebus 4000 B2 platform....SES said that the satellites ordered from Thales Alenia Space are “contingency satellites” ...
SES-22 satellite's payload has just reached @Thales_Alenia_S clean rooms of Cannes, being delivered from Toulouse. This video looks back to the payload being put into the contener in Toulouse. Next step will be the mating of the payload & platform. Stay tuned! @SES_Satellites
Meet Bérangère Bergogne, Program Manager for communications satellites... Can you tell us more about the SES-22 program? It’s hard to dissociate SES-22 from SES-23, as both satellites are set to deliver direct-to-home broadcast services in North America. They will enable SES to meet the deadline set by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to free up C-band spectrum required to deploy 5G in the United States. So it’s a strategic program for our customer. The common denominator between the two satellites is Thales Alenia Space’s proven Spacebus 4000 B2 platform. Both identical, SES-22 and SES-23 are the 11th and 12th satellites built around this bus, so it’s a mature technology that has proved robust and reliable over the years. And because it’s a tried-and-tested technology, we’ll be able to deliver a geostationary satellite within two years or less....
SES-22 is currently scheduled for July launch according to a recent FCC filing. Launch vehicle has still not been announced.
Do we know if it will travel alone or will it be accompanied by SES-23?
... Construction of SES-23 began on June 1, 2021. Subject to thesuccessful launch and deployment of the first four satellites included in the Transition Plan, SESwill then determine whether or not to finalize the SES-23 program and will seek reimbursementonly for the costs incurred until that moment for the second ground spare program, includingtermination liability....The launcher for SES-23 has not been selected yet....
I added a "?" to the thread title for clarity re: launch vehicle.
@zubenelgenubi: Could you please remove the question mark?Thank you very much.
