SES has announced the launch of its seventh and eighth O3b mPOWER satellites aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center at 5:26 PM local time. These satellites will join the existing six O3b mPOWER spacecraft in medium Earth orbit (MEO).
The newly launched satellites, equipped with redesigned payload power modules, mark a significant advancement in SES’s ability to deliver high-throughput, low-latency services globally. The O3b mPOWER constellation is designed to cater to diverse customer needs, providing connectivity from tens of Mbps to multiple Gbps per site.
Since its service launch in April 2024, the O3b mPOWER system has been supporting customers across Asia-Pacific, Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas. Key clients include Microsoft, Princess Cruises, Vodafone Cook Islands, NATO Support and Procurement Agency, and governments of Luxembourg and the United States, among others.
“O3b mPOWER is our most powerful, technically advanced, and flexible satellite constellation,” said SES CEO Adel Al-Saleh. “With every additional satellite, we exponentially increase the capacity and efficiency of our network. The insights gained since the system’s launch have been instrumental in advancing our innovation journey, ensuring we meet the sophisticated demands of our customers.”
The O3b mPOWER system comprises 13 satellites in its initial phase. SES plans to complete the constellation by launching the remaining five satellites over the next 18 months, further scaling its services for global connectivity.
