The satellites, which are scheduled to launch in 2022, will enable the delivery of 5G services and uninterrupted delivery of digital television services in the US.
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 companys 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 FCCs 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 SESs accelerated C-band clearing plan. These satellites will enable SES to clear 280MHz of mid-band spectrum for 5G use while migrating SESs 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 SESs solutions to meet their customers’ needs.”
