SES 20, 21

SES 20 [Boeing]

SES 20 and SES 21 are two C-band only communications satellites owned by SES.

SES has selected two U.S. satellite manufacturers, Northrop Grumman and the Boeing Company, to deliver four new satellites as part of the company’s accelerated C-band clearing plan to meet the Federal Communications Commission’s objectives to roll-out 5G services.

Northrop Grumman delivered two GeoStar-3 satellites, each equipped with a high-quality C-band payload. The two satellites – SES-18 and SES-19 – were designed, assembled and tested in Dulles, Virginia.

The Boeing Company delivered a pair of highly efficient all-electric BSS-702SP satellites. The two satellites – SES-20 and SES-21 – were manufactured and assembled in Los Angeles, California.

These four C-band only new satellites enable SES to clear 280 MHz of mid-band spectrum for 5G use while seamlessly migrating SES’s existing C-band customers. Each satellite has 10 primary transponders of 36 MHz plus back-up tubes so they can enable the broadcast delivery of digital television to more than 120 million TV homes as well as provide critical data services. The satellites, when launched in Q3 2022, will be positioned at 103° West, 131° West and 135 degrees West orbital slots.

The satellites were launched together on a Atlas-5(531) directly to a near-geostationary orbit.