O3b mPOWER
O3b mPOWER is a communications satellite system currently under construction and deployment. The first two satellites were launched on 16 December 2022 and commercial service is expected to begin "early Q2 2024". Owned and operated by SES, O3b mPOWER initially comprises 6 (increasing to 13) high-throughput and low-latency satellites in a medium Earth orbit (MEO), along with ground infrastructure and intelligent software, to provide multiple terabits of global broadband connectivity for applications including cellular backhaul to remote rural locations and simultaneous international IP trunking.
| Mission type | Communications |
|---|---|
| Operator | SES |
| Mission duration | 12 years (planned) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | All-electric propulsion |
| Bus | BSS-702X |
| Manufacturer | Boeing |
| Launch mass | 1700 kg |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 16 December 2022 |
| Rocket | Falcon 9 Block 5 |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral, SLC-40 |
| Contractor | SpaceX |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Medium Earth orbit |
| Altitude | 8,000 km (5,000 mi) |
The O3b mPOWER satellites use fully shapable and steerable spot beams that can be shifted and scaled in real time to suit individual users. The satellites will join SES' existing constellation of 20 first-generation O3b satellites in MEO and operate in conjunction with them and the SES fleet of geostationary satellites.