SES awarded a launch contract to U.S.-based United Launch Alliance (ULA) to launch two C-band satellites. ULA’s Atlas V rocket will launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida in 2022 and carry the two stacked satellites.
SES also awarded a contract to SpaceX to provide launch capability for up to 3 of its C-band satellites over two launches.
The launches will be part of SES' accelerated C-band clearing plan to meet the Federal Communications Commission’s objectives to roll out 5G services in the United States.
Earlier this year, SES contracted with American companies Northrop Grumman and the Boeing Company to deliver four C-band satellites. These satellites will enable SES to clear 280MHz of mid-band spectrum for 5G use while seamlessly migrating SES’s existing C-band customers and ensuring the continued delivery of digital television to nearly 120 million American TV homes and other critical data services. ULA will launch the two C-band satellites manufactured by Boeing.
SES is investing in America through its C-band transition plan and its work with large and small businesses across the country and its selection of Atlas V, an American launch vehicle “Clearing 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,” said Steve Collar, CEO at SES. “We are thrilled to be working with ULA again and partnering to meet the FCC’s ambitious timeline for the accelerated clearing of C-band spectrum.”
