Satellite operator SES has added two more satellites to its next-gen O3b mPOWER constellation that are also the first two satellites with new designs to address power issues in the first six satellites.
SES had put four mPOWER satellites in orbit before discovering in August 2023 that a design glitch was causing power modules to switch off, which shortens their operational life. Two more satellites with the same glitch were launched in April this year so that the mPOWER constellation could commence commercial service, which was already behind schedule.
SES says it has put mitigations in place to compensate for the power glitch in the first six satellites, to include adding two more satellites to the mPOWER constellation, which will now comprise 13 satellites instead of 11.
The two new O3b mPOWER satellites – which were launched on Tuesday by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida – feature redesigned payload power modules. The remaining five satellites based on that design are currently being manufactured and are scheduled for launch over the next 18 months, SES said.
SES CEO Adel Al-Saleh said the commercial launch of mPOWER service is already paying off for its customers, particularly in developing markets banking on LEO and MEO high-throughput satellites to connect underserved and unserved areas, as well as supply mobile backhaul capacity.
“Ever since the start of service of O3b mPOWER earlier this year, we have seen how it has become an integral part of the connectivity experience of our customers,” he said. “We have also learned a lot and have put all of those insights to work as we progress in our innovation journey to scale up our services and meet even the most sophisticated requirements of our customers.”
SES has signed mPOWER deals with operators in Ecuador, Brazil, United Arab Emirates, the Cook Islands, Senegal and other countries in Africa, among others. India’s Reliance Jio Infocomm plans to use O3b mPOWER satellites for its satellite broadband service JioSpaceFiber.