Luxembourg-based commercial satellite operator SES has selected Arianespace to launch its first all-electric communications satellite, SES-12.
Planned for lift-off at the end of 2017, the SES-12 will be launched by an Ariane 5 from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana.
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Arianespace Chairman and CEO Stéphane Israël added: "Launching the first all-electric satellite in the SES fleet confirms that our Ariane 5 launcher perfectly matches the evolving market and technology of satellites."
Weighing 5,300kg, the SES-12 will be placed at orbital slot of 95° E and will replace SES’s existing NSS-6 satellite.
The satellite, which is designed to operate for 15 years, will provide direct-to-home (DTH) broadcasting, VSAT, mobility and high-throughput satellite (HTS) data connectivity services in the Asia-Pacific region.
SES chief technology officer Martin Halliwell said: "SES-12 will greatly expand our capacity over Asia and is fully in line with our capital expenditure plan.
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By GlobalData"Through its unique hybrid DTH/HTS design, SES-12 will continue to support our growing DTH platforms and provide a new, lower cost HTS product, further enhancing our customer’s options for growth."
Airbus Defence and Space has been selected by SES to construct the SES-12 based on its Eurostar E3000 platform, with a payload of 68 Ku-band transponders and eight Ka-band transponders.
The spacecraft will feature an electric plasma propulsion system for orbit raising and on-orbit manoeuvres.
Image: The SES-12 will replace SES’s existing NSS-6 satellite. Photo: courtesy of Airbus Defence and Space SAS.
