On Tuesday, July 22 at 5:12 p.m. ET, SpaceX launched the SES O3b mPOWER mission to medium Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
This was the sixth flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously supported O3b mPOWER-E, Crew-10, Bandwagon-3, and two Starlink missions.
From Boeing: two Boeing-built O3b mPOWER satellites successfully launch, enhancing SES constellation
O3b mPOWER F9/10 liftoff aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on July 22. (Photo courtesy of SpaceX)
Boeing [NYSE: BA] engineers have confirmed the 9th and 10th O3b mPOWER satellites, built for leading space solutions company SES, have successfully launched and are transmitting signals from space after lifting off aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 5:12 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Photos captured by Satnews.
Approximately two hours after liftoff, the satellites separated from the launch vehicle, initiating a series of comprehensive health checks by Boeing team members in El Segundo, California, home to Boeing’s mission control facility and the world’s largest satellite factory.
Leveraging highly efficient xenon thrusters to maneuver in space, the satellites will continue their 130-day journey to MEO, approximately 8,000 kilometers from the Earth’s surface. They will join the first eight satellites currently providing high-performance connectivity services to SES users worldwide.
“We designed O3b mPOWER so each additional satellite beyond the first six boosts capacity, performance, and resilience,” said Michelle Parker, vice president, Boeing Space Mission Systems. “This capability stems from our investments in cutting-edge technology and the enhanced production techniques we’ve refined over the course of the program.”
The O3b mPOWER constellation entered commercial service in April 2024, providing high-throughput, low latency connectivity that mimics the speed and reliability of traditional internet connections, but with virtually unlimited geographic flexibility. From MEO, the satellites provide coverage to nearly 95% of the world’s population.
“I’m proud of our SES team and partners for continuously pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in space to bring critical connectivity where it matters most. Over the past year, our O3b mPOWER services have been transforming industries and empowering our key customers including telco operators, cruise lines, airlines, NATO, the Government of Luxembourg, the Government of United States and many other allied governments,” said Adel Al-Saleh, CEO of SES. “With this launch we continue adding incremental capacity to our initial O3b mPOWER constellation, strengthening our MEO network and delivering high throughput and predictable low latency services at scale.”
The satellites leverage digitally formed beams to dynamically address evolving communication needs across geographies and customer bases. Boeing hardened this technology for military use on the Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS)-11 and WGS-12 and Evolved Strategic SATCOM (ESS) nuclear command and control satellites the company is building for the U.S. Space Force. This software-defined technology allows for more secure and reliable connectivity resistant to attempts of jamming, interruption or interception.
A leading global aerospace company and top U.S. exporter, Boeing develops, manufactures and services commercial airplanes, defense products and space systems for customers in more than 150 countries. Our U.S. and global workforce and supplier base drive innovation, economic opportunity, sustainability and community impact. Boeing is committed to fostering a culture based on our core values of safety, quality and integrity.
SES’s release: SES’s ninth and tenth O3b mPOWER satellites successfully launched
The latest pair of O3b mPOWER satellites was successfully launched into space by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, United States, at 5:12 pm local time, SES announced today. These two new satellites enhance global coverage and bring incremental capacity to scale up services provided by SES’s second-generation medium Earth orbit (MEO) system, O3b mPOWER.
Since becoming operational in 2024, the O3b mPOWER system has been successfully serving mobility, government, enterprise and cloud customers around the world. The two satellites launched today will join the eight O3b mPOWER spacecraft already in operation, offering services ranging from tens of Mbps to multiple gigabits per second of capacity to any site.
The remaining three O3b mPOWER satellites are currently being manufactured and are scheduled for launch in 2026. The additional O3b mPOWER satellites will bring up to a threefold increase in available capacity by 2027 when the entire O3b mPOWER constellation is fully deployed.
“I’m proud of our SES team and partners for continuously pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in space to bring critical connectivity where it matters most. Over the past year, our O3b mPOWER services have been transforming industries and empowering our key customers including telco operators, cruise lines, airlines, NATO, the Government of Luxembourg, the Government of United States and many other allied governments,” said Adel Al-Saleh, CEO of SES. “With this launch we continue adding incremental capacity to our initial O3b mPOWER constellation, strengthening our MEO network and delivering high throughput and predictable low latency services at scale.”
SpaceX ‘Hold Hold Hold!’ aborts 11 seconds before Monday’s launch of O3b mPower satellites
On Monday, July 21, SpaceX’s launch director called “Hold, hold, hold!” just about 11 seconds before liftoff was set to occur that ended the launch attempt of the O3b mPOWER mission. SpaceX is now targeting Tuesday, July 22 for a Falcon 9 launch of the SES O3b mPOWER mission to medium Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The two-hour launch window opens at 5:12 p.m. ET.
The reason for the delay has not been announced
“Standing down from today’s launch of the @SES_Satellites O3b mPOWER mission and now targeting tomorrow, July 22 for liftoff,” SpaceX wrote shortly before 6 p.m. EDT on Monday. “Vehicle and payload remain healthy.”
The weather report for Tuesday is worse than today’s scrub. Officials are monitoring weather conditions with concerns related to Cumulus Cloud Rule, Lightning Rule, Surface Electric Field Rule. The forecast calls for a temperature of 79°F, overcast clouds, 100% cloud cover and a wind speed of 26mph.
A live webcast of this mission will begin about 15 minutes prior to liftoff, which you can watch on X @SpaceX. You can also watch the webcast on the new X TV app.
This will be the sixth flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously supported O3b mPOWER-E, Crew-10, Bandwagon-3, and two Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Just Read the Instructions droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
SpaceX plans Monday launch of Boeing’s and SES’ O3b mPower 9-10 satellites from the Cape but weather is issue
SpaceX is targeting Monday, July 21 for a Falcon 9 launch of the SES O3b mPOWER mission to medium Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The two-hour launch window opens at 5:12 p.m. ET. If needed, a backup opportunity is available Tuesday, July 22 with the same window.
According to weather officials, there’s a 50% chance of favorable weather conditions at the time of the launch. Officials are monitoring weather conditions with concerns related to Anvil Cloud Rules, Cumulus Cloud Rule, Surface Electric Field Rule. The forecast calls for a temperature of 88°F, overcast clouds, 100% cloud cover and a wind speed of 7mph.
A live webcast of this mission will begin about 15 minutes prior to liftoff, which you can watch on X @SpaceX. You can also watch the webcast on the new X TV app.
This will be the sixth flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously supported O3b mPOWER-E, Crew-10, Bandwagon-3, and two Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Just Read the Instructions droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
SpaceX ready to launch O3b mPower 9-10 Monday from the Cape
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 will launch 2 high-throughput communications satellites in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) to launch on Monday, July 21st at 2:00 PM – 4:30 PM PDT from Space Launch Complex 40 from Cape Canaveral SFS, Florida.
The satellites are built by Boeing and operated by SES.
The Falcon 9 first stage will attempt to land on one of two East Coast ASDS in the Atlantic Ocean, after its flight.
Boeing’s [NYSE: BA] 9th and 10th O3b mPOWER satellites will launch with SES to be a content and network provider advancing the company’s effort to provide global connectivity from space. The satellites, which feature Boeing’s fully software-defined payload technology to actively allot power to meet user needs.
“The O3b mPOWER spacecraft are the most capable and flexible commercial satellites to ever operate in space,” said Michelle Parker, vice president, Boeing Space Mission Systems. “Many of us have tried to connect from an airplane or cruise ship and found the connection unreliable. Our software-defined payload technology allows SES to deliver high-speed, reliable connectivity, adapting in real-time to user demand. It’s a game changer, and the first eight satellites are showing users just how incredible this technology is.”
The O3b mPOWER system, SES’s second-generation constellation operating in medium Earth orbit (MEO, approximately 8,000 km from Earths’ surface), is designed to transform industries with terabit-level capacity, low latency, and unmatched service availability. These two spacecraft will join the first eight satellites already on orbit, further enhancing SES’s ability to deliver high-speed, reliable connectivity to its users.
“We’re very pleased to see just how well our first-of-its-kind technology is performing in space, as we continue to iterate and evolve it for other customers and missions,” said Parker.
The underlying payload technology flying aboard O3b mPOWER is also being hardened for military use aboard the Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS)-11 and WGS-12 satellites Boeing is building for the United States Space Force. Boeing’s proven software-defined technology allows for more secure and reliable connectivity, even in a contested environment.
SES’s 9th + 10th O3b mPOWER satellites arrive at Cape Canaveral
SES‘s ninth and tenth O3b mPOWER satellites have arrived at Cape Canaveral where they will be readied for launch by SpaceX this summer.
Both satellites will join the eight O3b mPOWER satellites already in operation at Medium Earth Orbit (MEO). SES has optimized its next launch configuration from three to two satellites to maintain its capacity increase targets and improve network efficiency.
The remaining three O3b mPOWER satellites are currently being manufactured and are scheduled for launch during the next 12 months.