SES has announced the successful launch of its largest satellite to serve the Asia-Pacific region.
The satellite was launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.
The SES-9 weighed 5.3 tons at the launch and has 57 high-power Ku-band transponders, which will be used to serve the fast-growing video, enterprise, mobility and government sectors across Northeast Asia, South Asia, India, Indonesia and the Philippines.
According to SES, the additional capacity on SES-9 will enable DTH operators to broadcast more local content and increase their SD and HDTV channel line-up to 22 million households across the region.
It will also deliver high-speed broadband services and mobile backhaul to remote regions to enable the deployment of communication networks, such as banking and e-government services.
In addition, the satellite is equipped to meet the demand for maritime connectivity with its dedicated mobility beams, which will provide comprehensive coverage for the 26,000 vessels expected to sail worldwide on high-traffic maritime routes in 2016, such as between the Suez Canal and Strait of Malacca.
“SES-9 is an important building block in our strategy to grow in dynamic regions and four prime sectors -- video, enterprise, mobility and government,” said Martin Halliwell, Chief Technology Officer of SES. “With its dedicated mobility beams, it will help us to capture new opportunities in the buoyant markets for maritime and aeronautical connectivity.”
SES-9, which was built by Boeing Satellite Systems International, will be co-located with another SES satellite, SES-7, at the prime orbital location of 108.2 degrees East, and will replace the NSS-11 spacecraft at that position.