SES has selected Airbus Defence and Space to build a new hybrid communications satellite, SES-12, to serve the fast growing DTH, data, mobility and government markets in Asia.
The spacecraft is based on Airbus’ established Eurostar E3000 platform but…
SES has selected Airbus Defence and Space to build a new hybrid communications satellite, SES-12, to serve the fast growing DTH, data, mobility and government markets in Asia.
The spacecraft is based on Airbus’ established Eurostar E3000 platform but is the first one to use only electric propulsion for initial orbit raising.
The subsequent reduction in mass has enabled the satellite to be equipped with an exceptionally large payload with 68 Ku-band and eight Ka-band transponders. In total, SES-12 will weigh 5.3 tons.
The satellite is due to be launched in 2017, although its electric propulsion system means it will take three to six months to reach its geostationary orbit depending on the launch vehicle. SES said that it would announce the launch services provider at a later stage.
The payload of the hybrid satellite consists of two distinct missions. The first is to provide traditional wide beam coverage over the Asia-Pacific region. It consists of 54 (36 MHz equivalent) Ku transponders that will provide both replacement and growth capacity.
SES-12 is intended to replace NSS-6 and will be co-located with SES-8 at 95E. The satellite operator currently serves close to 20 million DTH households in India and Indochina from this orbital slot.
The second mission consists of a multi spot beam high-throughput payload of 70 Ku-band and 11 Ka-band spot beams delivering over 14 GHz for VSAT, enterprise, mobility and government applications.
SES added that this mission also includes a Digital Transparent Processor (DTP), which provides anti-jamming capabilities as well as increased payload flexibility to provide customised bandwidth solutions to its customers.
François Auque, head of space systems at Airbus, said: “I salute SES’s ambitions when it comes to innovation and responsiveness in a rapidly changing market, and we are pleased to be able to provide them with our very best technology for both the payload and the platform.
“We have been using electric propulsion for station-keeping for 10 years now and have equipped 10 Eurostar E3000 satellites with this technology, which we are now also offering for initial orbit raising. The resulting weight saving will enable us to combine two high-capacity missions equivalent to two conventional satellites in one satellite, SES-12.”
Financial details are not being disclosed but SES did say that it was fully in line with its capital expenditure plan.
