{"id":12285,"date":"2020-08-05T23:41:42","date_gmt":"2020-08-05T15:41:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/ula-spacex-win-contracts-to-launch-satellites-for-ses-in-2022\/"},"modified":"2020-08-05T23:41:42","modified_gmt":"2020-08-05T15:41:42","slug":"ula-spacex-win-contracts-to-launch-satellites-for-ses-in-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/ula-spacex-win-contracts-to-launch-satellites-for-ses-in-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"ULA, SpaceX win contracts to launch satellites for SES in 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"
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File photo of a previous Atlas 5 launch in the \u201c531\u201d configuration with three solid rocket boosters. Credit: United Launch Alliance<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

SES has selected United Launch Alliance and SpaceX to launch up to five new commercial C-band communications satellites from Cape Canaveral in 2022 aboard Atlas 5 and Falcon 9 rockets, officials announced Wednesday.<\/p>\n

Two Boeing-built communications satellites will launch together on a ULA Atlas 5 rocket, and two telecom craft made by Northrop Grumman will launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, according to SES, a global communications satellite operator based in Luxembourg.<\/p>\n

The SES 18 and 19 satellites, based on Northrop Grumman\u2019s GEOStar 3 satellite platform, will launch stacked together on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral in 2022, SES said. SES also awarded SpaceX a contract to launch another C-band satellite if required.<\/p>\n

The SES 20 and 21 communications satellites are slated to launch in tandem aboard a ULA Atlas 5 rocket, also in 2022, SES said.<\/p>\n

SES ordered the four satellites from Boeing and Northrop Grumman in June to replace C-band capacity being transitioned to 5G cellular network services by the Federal Communications Commission. At the same time, Intelsat ordered six new C-band communications satellites from Maxar and Northrop Grumman as part of its C-band transition plan. Launch services contracts for the new Intelsat satellites have not been announced.<\/p>\n

SES said it considered only U.S. launchers when awarding the launch services contracts, and having the new satellites in geostationary orbit on time is a high priority. That essentially left ULA and SpaceX as the only companies eligible for the contracts.<\/p>\n

Financial terms for the launch contracts were not disclosed by SES, SpaceX, or ULA.<\/p>\n

Suzanne Ong, an SES spokesperson, said the division of launch contracts between ULA and SpaceX \u2014 rivals in the U.S. launch business \u2014 fit the different offerings provided by the Atlas 5 and Falcon 9 rockets.<\/p>\n

The Atlas 5 rocket will deploy the SES 20 and 21 satellites into a higher orbit, utilizing the long-duration, multiple-restart capability of the rocket\u2019s Centaur upper stage. That will place the satellites closer to their final operating positions in geostationary orbit more than 22,000 miles (nearly 36,000 kilometers) over the equator.<\/p>\n

SES 20 and 21 will be built by Boeing and based on the Boeing 702SP spacecraft bus with all-electric propulsion. Electric thrusters are more efficient than conventional rocket engines, allowing the satellite to need less fuel during its mission. That results in a lighter satellite.<\/p>\n

But the electric thrusters do not have as much thrust as a liquid-fueled thruster, so it takes longer for a satellite with all-electric propulsion to reach geostationary orbit.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Boeing 702SP satellites, relying only on electrical propulsion, would take longer to reach designated geostationary orbit if launched on SpaceX,\u201d Ong said in response to questions from Spaceflight Now. \u201cThis is the reason why ULA is launching Boeing satellites and SpaceX is launching the NG (Northrop Grumman) satellites.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jessica Rye, a ULA spokesperson, said the SES 20 and 21 satellites will launch on the \u201c531\u201d variant of the Atlas 5 rocket with a 5-meter payload fairing and three strap-on solid rocket boosters. That configuration has flown three times to date, and is set to launch a fourth time in September with a classified payload for the National Reconnaissance Office, the U.S. government\u2019s spy satellite agency.<\/p>\n

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File photo of a Falcon 9 launch from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Credit: SpaceX<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cClearing mid-band spectrum expeditiously while protecting cable neighborhoods across America is a huge undertaking and one that requires partners that can deliver mission success and schedule assurance,\u201d said Steve Collar, CEO at SES. \u201cWe are thrilled to be working with ULA again and partnering to meet the FCC\u2019s ambitious timeline for the accelerated clearing of C-band spectrum.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are pleased SES selected ULA and our proven Atlas 5 for this important commercial launch service,\u201d said Tory Bruno, ULA\u2019s president and CEO. \u201cAtlas 5 is known for its unmatched level of schedule certainty and reliability and this launch is critical to the timely clearing of C-band spectrum, empowering America\u2019s accelerated implementation of 5G.<\/p>\n

\u201cULA\u2019s legacy of performance, precision and mission design flexibility allow us to deliver a tailored launch service that minimizes orbit raising time and perfectly meet our customer\u2019s requirements,\u201d Bruno said in a statement. \u201cWe are thrilled to provide this optimized launch solution to SES for this crucial launch.\u201d<\/p>\n

Two SES satellites have launched on previous Atlas 5 rocket missions in 2004 and 2006. ULA now has two commercial launches in its Atlas 5 backlog, along with a ViaSat 3 broadband payload due to fly on the most power Atlas 5 configuration with five solid rocket boosters.<\/p>\n

The Northrop Grumman-built SES 18 and 19 satellites will use a combination of electric and liquid propulsion for post-launch orbit-raising maneuvers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe 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,\u201d Collar said in a statement.<\/p>\n

Six SES satellites have launched on SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets to date.<\/p>\n

\u201cSES is one of SpaceX\u2018s most-valued partners, and we are proud of their continued trust in our capabilities to reliably deliver their satellites to orbit,\u201d said Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX\u2019s president and chief operating officer. \u201cWe are excited to once again play a role in executing SES\u2019s solutions to meet their customers\u2019 needs.\u201d<\/p>\n

SES will soon order two additional C-band satellites from U.S. manufacturers as ground spares. The contract option with SpaceX to place a third C-band satellite into orbit would cover the launch of one of the ground spares, Ong said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe ground spares will only be launched if there is a systematic problem that delays the satellite construction, or if there is a launch failure or any other issue that puts the accelerated clearing schedule at risk,\u201d Ong said in response to questions from Spaceflight Now. \u201cIn case of a launch failure, SpaceX will launch one of the other C-band satellites that SES will order soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

The four SES satellites are part of the Federal Communications Commission\u2019s order finalized earlier this year to clear 300 megahertz of C-band spectrum for the roll-out of 5G mobile connectivity networks.<\/p>\n

The FCC plans to auction U.S. C-band spectrum \u2014 currently used for satellite-based video broadcast services to millions of customers \u2014 to 5G operators in December. In compensation for losing the spectrum, Intelsat is set to receive $4.87 billion and SES will get $3.97 billion from 5G bidders if they can accelerate the transition of C-band services to a smaller swath of spectrum by December 2023, two years before the FCC\u2019s mandated deadline.<\/p>\n

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Artist\u2019s concept of the SES 20 and SES 21 communications satellites to be manufactured by Boeing. Credit: Boeing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Intelsat and SES \u2014 along with operators with a smaller share of the U.S. C-band market \u2014 will also be reimbursed for their C-band relocation costs, including satellite manufacturing and launch expenses.<\/p>\n

As part of the agreement, the satellite operators were incentivized to buy new C-band broadcasting satellites from U.S. manufacturers to operate in the 4.0 to 4.2 gigahertz swath of the C-band spectrum. The lower portion of the band previously allocated to satellite operators \u2014 3.7 to 4.0 megahertz \u2014 is being transitioned to 5G services.<\/p>\n

Ong said the ground spares SES is set to order soon will be available to launch on short notice to ensure SES can meet the FCC\u2019s deadline to clear the upper part of the C-band spectrum for 5G services.<\/p>\n

When it ordered the four new satellites from Boeing and Northrop Grumman in June, SES said each satellite will have 10 primary transponders, plus back-up equipment, to deliver television services to more than 120 million homes and enable other critical data services. At that time, SES said the satellites are scheduled for launch in the third quarter of 2022.<\/p>\n

SES said in May that its board of directors approved an investment envelope of $1.6 billion to procure and launch the new C-band satellites, and pay for other equipment and services, such as signal filters on ground antennas, to accommodate the C-band transition to 5G services.<\/p>\n

Email the author.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Follow Stephen Clark on Twitter: @StephenClark1.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

File photo of a previous Atlas 5 launch in the \u201c531\u201d configuration with three solid rocket boosters. Credit: United Launch Alliance SES has selected United Launch Alliance and SpaceX to launch up to five new commercial C-band communications satellites from Cape Canaveral in 2022 aboard Atlas 5 and Falcon 9 rockets, officials announced Wednesday. Two […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[50,670,2135,2136,291,1775,479,1720],"class_list":["post-12285","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-5g","tag-boeing","tag-boeing-702sp","tag-c-band","tag-commercial-space","tag-electric-propulsion","tag-falcon-9","tag-federal-communications-commission"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12285"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12285"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12285\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12285"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12285"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12285"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}