[SatNews] SES S.A. (NYSE Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG) announced it has selected Airbus Defence and Space (formerly known as Astrium) to build its latest communications satellite, SES-10.

Artistic rendition of the SES-10 satellite.
Image is courtesy of Airbus Defence & Space.

The satellite will significantly grow SES’s capacity to serve the thriving markets of Latin America. Financial details are not being disclosed. The new satellite—ordered through SES’s wholly-owned subsidiary SES Satellite Leasing—will expand SES’s capabilities in Latin America and the Caribbean through high power beams tailored to provide Direct-To-Home (DTH)  broadcasting, enterprise and broadband connectivity services in the entire region.  SES-10’s comprehensive coverage includes Mexico, Central America and South America, as well as the Caribbean. The satellite will be positioned at the 67 degrees West orbital position, pursuant to an agreement between the Andean Community (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru) and SES, which provides for use of the Andean Community’s Simon Bolivar 2 satellite network. The specifically designed beam of SES-10 over the Andean Community Member States, combined with its optimum elevation angle, represents a unique proposition for telecommunications operators, broadcasters and service providers for the Andean countries.

SES-10 is slated for launch on board a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle. With 50 high-power Ku-band transponders, the satellite will provide replacement capacity for the current satellites, AMC-3 and AMC-4, as well as incremental capacity at the 67 degrees West slot. SES has been providing key services to customers in the region from this orbital slot since 2010.

SES-10 will be built by Airbus Defence and Space based on its highly reliable Eurostar E3000 platform. The satellite is designed to operate for 15 years in geosynchronous orbit, utilizing an electric plasma propulsion system for on-orbit maneuvers and a chemical system for initial orbit raising and some on-orbit maneuvers. SES-10 will have an electrical power of 13kW and its launch mass on Falcon 9 is expected to be about 5,300 kilograms. The satellite will also fly Flexible Command Receivers, whose frequency agility provides for more robust satellite command link operations.

SES-10 is the 10th spacecraft that SES has ordered from Airbus Defence and Space.

The SES infosite is located at http://www.ses.com/