SES WORLD SKIES’ SES-1 Satellite Successfully Launched on Board ILS Proton
SES WORLD SKIES, a division of SES S.A. (Paris:SESG)(LuxX:SESG), today announced that the SES-1 satellite successfully roared into space on board a Proton Breeze M booster from the Baikonour Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on April 24 at 17:19 p.m. local time (13:19 CET). Eight hours and 58 minutes after lift-off the spacecraft separated from the Breeze M upper stage and was placed into geostationary orbit. Initial signals from SES-1 were received at a control station in Perth, Australia.
SES-1 was manufactured by Orbital Sciences Corporation, with launch services on board Proton provided by International Launch Services (ILS). The spacecraft is poised to be the 42nd satellite in SES’ global fleet.
Rob Bednarek, President and CEO of SES WORLD SKIES, stated: “The flawless launch of SES-1 will allow us to ensure uninterrupted service for a variety of valued customers at the key orbital position of 101 degrees West. SES-1 is an integral part of our fleet renewal program over North America. Our thanks for a mission well accomplished go to the skilled engineering and operations teams of ILS, Orbital and SES ENGINEERING. SES-1 also marks the first satellite in the now 42 satellite strong global SES fleet to carry the ‘SES’ prefix.”
“We are very pleased that the SES-1 spacecraft mission is off to such a good start with its successful launch from the Baikonour Cosmodrome aboard a Proton rocket,” said Mr. David W. Thompson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Orbital Sciences Corporation, the supplier of the spacecraft to SES WORLD SKIES. “With two other SES spacecraft now in production and testing at our Dulles, Virginia manufacturing facility, we are delighted to begin the launch campaign that will augment the SES WORLD SKIES fleet.
“The successful launch of SES-1 for SES marks the 17th mission with SES dating back to the inaugural commercial launch of ILS Proton with SES’ ASTRA 1F fourteen years ago. ILS was pleased to again provide outstanding value, reliability and on-time delivery of SES-1 to serve millions of North American customers for SES WORLD SKIES,” said Frank McKenna, President of ILS.
About SES-1
SES-1 is a hybrid C- and Ku-band spacecraft that will provide coverage of the 50 US states and is intended to replace SES’s existing AMC-2 and AMC-4 satellite at the orbital location of 101 degrees West. SES-1 is part of an SES contract with Orbital Sciences for the provision of up to five virtually identical satellites in order to replenish SES’ North American satellite fleet. The SES satellites are based on Orbital’s enhanced STARTM 2.4 bus, the largest and most powerful communications satellite the company builds. The spacecraft will each carry 24 active C-band and 24 Ku-band transponders of 36 MHz capacity each. Six of the channels in each band can be cross-strapped to the opposite band, enabling new service capability. The spacecraft will generate approximately five kilowatts of payload power and have two 2.3 meter deployable reflectors.
About SES WORLD SKIES
SES WORLD SKIES is the new division of SES, created through the combination of the former SES NEW SKIES and SES AMERICOM. The company operates a fleet of 25 satellites – part of the 41 spacecraft of the SES group – delivering services as diverse as television distribution and broadcast, internet access, data transmission and business and government communications to customers worldwide. SES WORLD SKIES currently has five additional satellites under construction. The company’s unique customer-focused approach allows it to offer the best satellite solutions for a host of business and government requirements, with a view toward helping customers meet their short-term challenges and realize their longer-term goals. SES WORLD SKIES comprises a world-class team of customer care and technical professionals located in Princeton (NJ), The Hague, Washington, D.C., Singapore, Beijing, London, Sao Paulo, Mexico City, Sydney, Accra and Johannesburg. Visit www.ses.com for more information.
About SES
SES (Paris:SESG)(LuxX:SESG) wholly owns the market-leading satellite operators SES ASTRA and SES WORLD SKIES, and participations in Ciel in Canada, QuetzSat in Mexico as well as a strategic participation in satellite infrastructure start-up O3b Networks. SES provides outstanding satellite communications solutions via a global fleet of 41 satellites in 26 orbital locations. For further information: www.ses.com
