Satellite operator SES reports that it has completed the successful launch of its first two O3b mPOWER satellites, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, United States.
Built by Boeing with a software-driven payload, O3b mPOWER is SES’s second-generation medium earth orbit (MEO) system.
The new network will comprise an initial 11 satellites, each equipped with more than 5,000 digitally formed beams, backed by a new O3b mPOWER ground infrastructure. Roundtrip latency of less than 150 milliseconds is expected on the operational network, the company says.
SES has already signed up a number of maritime stakeholders to access O3b mPOWER capacity when it comes online, including Princess Cruises and Marlink, with commercial service expected to begin in the third quarter of 2023.
“With our second-generation O3b mPOWER, we are bringing game-changing technology that delivers a unique combination of multiple gigabits per second of throughput at any location, guaranteed reliability and service flexibility that is a first in the industry,” said Steve Collar, CEO of SES.
“Whether we are enabling governments to carry out critical missions securely, cruise operators to provide high-speed broadband access to passengers at all times, or mobile network operators to deploy 4G/5G networks in underconnected areas or restore communications networks in down time, O3b mPOWER is the satellite system of choice for applications where performance matters most.”
