• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to secondary sidebar
  • NEWS:
  • SatNews
  • SatMagazine
  • MilSatMagazine
  • SmallSat News
  • |     EVENTS:
  • SmallSat Symposium
  • Satellite Innovation
  • MilSat Symposium

SatNews

  • HOME
  • Magazines
  • Events
  • SmallSat Europe Insights
  • Industry Calendar
    • IN PERSON
    • VIRTUAL
  • Subscribe

SES + ESA To Enable GovSatCom With MEO Constellation

May 5, 2022

SES has released information that the company’s non-geostationary MEO satellite network will now be part of the GovSatCom-grade satellite communications platform that it has developed with the co-funding by ESA.

SES’s O3b high-throughput, low-latency and secure communications features is ideal for data-intensive applications sought by the European governments, including Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) operations, high-performance networks, cloud services and allowing for Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and more.

The new agreement with ESA succeeds PACIS-1 that resulted in the development of a dedicated platform comprising geostationary satellites for governments and institutions — SES’s REACH platform. The new agreement will see the technical integration of the non-geostationary satellites in MEO into the platform, enabling users with even higher performance, thanks to the SES’s first MEO constellation, O3b, and its upcoming second-generation MEO system, O3b mPOWER.

Depending on the connectivity needs for their missions, governmental and institutional users will soon be able to leverage a multi-orbit satellite network. High-workload missions that require the transmission of a lot of data in a secure manner will be able to rely on SES’s O3b and O3b mPOWER system, whereas the GEO networks will continue to be best used to enable delivery over a large region in the most cost-effective manner.

The REACH platform capability was developed by SES specifically for European governmental and institutional users requiring GovSatCom-level services for safety, security and emergency response. Most recently, SES was awarded the framework contract by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) that provides, through REACH, a SATCOM service in Ku-, Ka- and military-Ka band and ground segment for RPAS connectivity across multiple coastal regions of the European Union.

“As Europe and its key entities and institutions seek an increasingly resilient, autonomous and quickly accessible satellite communications service, we are working closely with the industry leaders to make this a reality. In this case, the SES’s existing GEO platform is extended to MEO to provide service for high-workload needs for governments,” said Elodie Viau, Director for Telecommunications at ESA. “I am proud that the initial pooling and sharing system developed in PACIS-1 now makes the next step and becomes multi-orbit, through integrating the best of commercial satellite innovation for the benefit of Europe.”

“With the integration of the MEO capabilities in the GovSatCom-dedicated REACH platform – namely the O3b and second-generation O3b mPOWER system – government and institutional users in Europe will be able to enjoy the benefits of a multi-orbit satellite network as they efficiently utilise the right type of satellite network for the right application,” said Philippe Glaesener, Senior Vice President for Defence, Security and Institutions at SES. “We not only provide the secure satcom service but also make sure that our government and institutional customers have the necessary level of control, while accessing the most innovative and performant systems that exist on the market.”

Filed Under: Business Moves, Constellation, Europe, European Commission, Funding, MEO, Multi-Orbit, Secure Comms

Primary Sidebar

Most Read Stories

  • Space Debris, and the EU’s Space Act
  • In celebration of Juneteenth
  • Wishing Everyone a Happy July 4th … Independence Day, U.S.A.
  • Eutelsat's efforts to obtain funding to save OneWeb
  • Forrester's Digest: Starlink active in Iran

About Satnews

  • Contacts
  • History

Archives

  • July 2025
  • June 2025
  • May 2025
  • April 2025
  • March 2025
  • February 2025
  • January 2025
  • December 2024
  • November 2024
  • October 2024
  • September 2024
  • August 2024
  • July 2024
  • June 2024
  • May 2024
  • April 2024
  • March 2024
  • February 2024
  • January 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020

Secondary Sidebar

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.
x
Sign up Now (For Free)
Access daily or weekly satellite news updates covering all aspects of the commercial and military satellite industry.
Invalid email address
Notify Me Regarding ( At least one ):
We value your privacy and will not sell or share your email or other information with any other company. You may also unsubscribe at anytime.

Click Here to see our full privacy policy.
Thanks for subscribing!