On Friday, March 17th, at 7:38 p.m., ET, a SpaceX Falcon 9 launched the SES-18 and SES-19 satellites to GEO from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
This was the sixth launch and landing of this booster, which previously supported the launch of the CRS-24, Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13F, OneWeb 1, and two Starlink missions.
These two, Northrop Grumman developed satellites — built on the company’s GEOSTAR™-3 satellite bus — are the fourth and fifth – and final – satellites to be launched as part of SES’s C-band transition plan and follow the launch of SES-22 in June 2022 and the tandem launch of SES-20 and SES-21 in October 2022.
These satellites are essential parts of SES’s plan to achieve the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) program to clear C-band spectrum to enable wireless operators to deploy 5G services across the contiguous U.S. (CONUS), while ensuring that SES’s existing, American customers continue to enjoy uninterrupted TV, radio, and critical data transmission services.
Since 2020, SES, along with other satellite operators, has been clearing 300 MHz of C-band spectrum and transitioning customer services to the remaining allocated 200 MHz of spectrum by launching new satellites, building new ground stations and sending hundreds of satellite earth station technicians across the country to install new filters on customers’ antennas.
By providing contractual service protections to customers who receive video services in the U.S., SES-18 and SES-19 will enable SES to safely clear C-band spectrum to help accomplish the FCC’s ambitious goals for American 5G innovation. SES-18 is expected to begin operations in June of 2023 at 103 degrees West, replacing SES-3 C-band payload, and SES-19 will be co-located with SES-22 at 135 degrees West.
“This successful launch marks one of the last remaining milestones on our journey to clear a portion of the C-band, and we are incredibly grateful to Northrop Grumman, SpaceX, and all of our partners who helped make this plan a reality,” said Steve Collar, CEO of SES. “We are now on the home stretch in protecting our customers’ broadcasts while freeing crucial 5G spectrum and we look forward to successfully concluding our work well before the FCC’s December 2023 accelerated clearing deadline.”
Steve Krein, vice president, civil and commercial satellites, Northrop Grumman, added, “Our GEOStar platform is an affordable and reliable option for a diverse set of commercial and government customers. The successful launch of SES-18 and SES-19 builds on our strong partnership with SES and indirectly plays a key role in supporting the rollout of 5G services across the country.”
Original info posting…
SpaceX is targeting Friday, March 17th., for launch of the SES-18 and SES-19 mission to GEO from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
The 38-minute launch window opens at 7:38 p.m., ET, (23:38 UTC). A backup launch opportunity is available on Saturday, March 18th., with a 37-minute window opening at the same time.
The Falcon 9 first stage booster supporting this mission previously launched CRS-24, Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13F, OneWeb 1, and two Starlink missions.
After stage separation, the first stage will land on the Just Read the Instructions droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
You can watch the live launch webcast starting about 15 minutes before liftoff.