Advanced Television

O3B

Collar joins SWISSto12’s Board of Directors as Chairman

SWISSto12, the satellite company and a specialist in RF communications solutions, today announced that former SES and O3b Networks CEO, Steve Collar, is joining the Board of Directors of SWISSto12 and will serve as Chairman. Collar brings more than 30 years of satellite industry experience including five years at the helm of SES and more […]

March 5, 2025

SWISSto12 to develop SES’s O3b mPOWER ground terminals

SWISSto12, the Radio Frequency (RF) product and GEO small satellite manufacturer, has been selected by SES to develop large aperture electronically steered antennas for its customer user terminals for its second generation medium Earth orbit (MEO) constellation, O3b mPOWER. O3b mPOWER – operational since 2024 – is designed to bring high-performance connectivity to even the […]

February 27, 2025

SES borrows €125m for O3b

The European Investment Bank’s global arm, EIB Global, has signed a €125 million loan agreement with satellite operator SES to fund three satellites of its second-generation medium Earth orbit (MEO) system O3b mPOWER. SES has already launched eight of 13 O3b mPOWER satellites, which operate 8,000 kms away from the Earth, delivering high throughput and […]

January 29, 2025By Chris Forrester

SES: 2 more O3b mPOWER satellites launched

After a slight delay, SES has announced that its latest pair of O3b mPOWER satellites were successfully launched into space by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on December 17th. Both satellites will join the first six O3b mPOWER spacecraft already in operation at medium Earth orbit (MEO), adding incremental […]

December 18, 2024

O3b satellites suffer launch delays

Two satellites owned by SES of Luxembourg have had their launch by SpaceX much delayed because of bad weather at Cape Canaveral. SES has stated that such weather delays are common, with launch dates typically being more of an estimated timeframe rather than a fixed schedule. A new launch date is expected to be set […]

December 16, 2024By Chris Forrester

Pair of O3b/mPOWER satellites ready for launch

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to launch two O3b/mPOWER satellites into orbit of December 13th for Luxembourg-based satellite operator SES. The launch will take place from Kennedy Space Center subject to the usual weather limitations. Launch time will open at 12.55 Florida time. Both satellites feature redesigned payload power modules from Boeing and […]

December 10, 2024By Chris Forrester

Two O3b satellites safely launched

A SpaceX rocket has launched two O3b/mPOWER satellites into their transfer orbit for SES. The launch, shortly after 4pm Florida time on November 12th, took the mPOWER 5 and 6 on their way to a mid-Earth orbit at 8,000 kms in altitude. Signals were received after launch which indicate that all was well, however further […]

November 13, 2023By Chris Forrester

SpaceX readies O3b launches

SpaceX will launch two O3b mPOWER satellites for SES on November 12th, the rocket company has confirmed, although subject to weather conditions being favourable. The two satellites are the 5th and 6th are in the expanded O3b/mPower constellation which will eventually comprise 13 craft. However, two are known to have potential problems. The first four […]

November 10, 2023By Chris Forrester

Delays hit launch of SES O3b satellites

The new fleet of SES-owned O3b mPOWER satellites are suffering what CEO Ruy Pinto has described as occasional “hiccups” in their power modules. Corrective measures are being taken but it means a delay to the launch of mPOWER craft No 5 and 6. The two satellites are already much delayed and were expected to be […]

September 19, 2023By Chris Forrester

SES wraps testing of O3b’s latest satellites

SES, following the launch and in-orbit testing of the first two O3b mPOWER satellites, has been performing a series of further system validation tests encompassing both space and ground components, including key Radio Frequency (RF) end-to-end testing. The recent successful RF tests efforts validated many key ground and space infrastructure components, and in particular SES’s […]

September 11, 2023By Chris Forrester