Global satellite-enabled content connectivity solutions provider SES, along with manufacturing partner Boeing, has unveiled its next-generation nongeostationary satellite orbit (NGSO) constellation, ahead of its launch at the end of the year.

The first batch of three O3b mPower satellites, as part of a constellation of 11, will be launched into space by SpaceX, on board Falcon 9 rockets, from Cape Canaveral, in the US, in December, followed by two more launches in 2022.

SES’s second-generation O3b mPower communications system comprises an initial constellation of 11 high-throughput and low-latency satellites, as well as extensive, largely software-based, ground infrastructure, which will allow the company to intelligently orchestrate connectivity services across the global network

The satellites are currently undergoing testing and system integration at Boeing’s satellite facilities in El Segundo, in the US, in preparation for the launch in December.

“Prior to launch, there is quite a rigorous build and test process that the satellites will go through to simulate the space environment in every way so that the satellite can withstand the dynamic launch environment and that the satellite operates as intended once it reaches space,” says Boeing Space and Launch senior VP Jim Chilton.

The constellation, which will operate in the medium-Earth orbit (MEO) about 8 000 km away from Earth, will start delivering flexible and scalable connectivity services to enterprises and governments around the world from the third quarter of 2022.

The software-driven O3b mPower communications system will deliver intelligence-driven connectivity services from 50 Mb/s to multiple gigabits a second to a variety of industries globally, including telecommunications, maritime and aviation, as well as governments and international institutions, enabling them to optimise their global bandwidth availability and resilience.

“We are really excited to have unveiled the O3b mPower satellites together with Boeing ahead of the first launch at the end of the year. This system’s massive throughput and its ability to dynamically adapt and scale bandwidth to match customers’ evolving needs in real-time is a first in the space and satellite industry, and is exactly what our customers are looking for,” says SES CEO Steve Collar.

SES is creating a cloud-scale operational environment that will leverage cloud networks to provide leading data analytics, geospatial tools, machine learning, and artificial intelligence services.

The company has partnered with leading cloud services providers to deliver secure and dedicated connectivity to their customers’ demanding cloud-based applications that span dense cities to remote, rural locations.

Microsoft is the first “cloud provider customer” of the O3b mPower system, using the MEO services for additional network diversity, service resilienceand gigabit connectivity as more critical workloads move to the cloud, and leveraging the MEO high-performance connectivity services to showcase its Azure Orbital solutions that integrate satellite connectivity with Azure services.

SES is co-locating four of its O3b mPower gateways at or near Azure data centres, is the founding MEO satellite connectivity partner for Microsoft Azure Orbital, is an Azure ExpressRoute for satellite partner and is the first satellite operator to implement a open network automation platform using NFV technology on Azure.

“Microsoft deploying our ground-breaking O3b mPower system is yet another step in our collaboration to bring high- performance, low latency Azure cloud services to customers around the globe,” SES Networks CEO JP Hemingway comments.

Microsoft will use SES’s current MEO to provide connectivity now before migrating to O3b mPower next year.

“Using SES’ medium earth orbit system enhances the power of Azure Orbital and enables us to deliver greater resiliency and comprehensive satellite connectivity solutions for our customers,” says Microsoft Azure Global VP William Chappell.

Other publicly-announced O3b mPower customers include Orange and iSat Africa, as well as major megacruise operators such as Carnival Cruises and Virgin Voyages.

“We believe that O3b mPower, defined by software and network elements based on fifth- generation (5G) technologies, will provide a unique combination of flexibility and universal access. Adding 5G standards to the already flexible and software-driven satellite opens a new range of possibilities,” adds Orange international networks executive VP Jean-Luc Vuillemin.

“With O3b mPower, we are transitioning into an operation that is fully synchronised with the cloud and cost-efficiently moving into gigabit services for cruise ships,” says Carnival Corporation chief experience and innovation officer John Padgett.