SES S.A. has announced that the SES-6 satellite has safely arrived at the Baikonur
Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The spacecraft is now being processed for launch on
board an ILS Proton Breeze M rocket scheduled to lift-off at 15:18 local time on 3
June (11h18 CET, 05h18 EDT).
SES-6 was built by EADS Astrium in Toulouse, France, based on the highly reliable
Eurostar E3000 platform. The satellite is equipped with 43 C-band and 48 Ku-band
transponders (36 MHz equivalent). It will enable the delivery of next generation
broadcast services, including HD video distribution and mobile services, from its 40.5°
West location in geostationary orbit, covering North America, Latin America, Europe
and the Atlantic Ocean.
Martin Halliwell, CTO of SES, stated: “SES-6 will replace the existing NSS-806 satellite
at 40.5° West and provide significant capacity expansion at a strategic slot over the
Americas. The satellite’s expanded Ku-band payload can support DTH platforms, VSAT
services and government digital inclusion programmes throughout Latin America. The
C-band payload will add incremental capacity to support channel growth at a key
cable neighborhood. We thank Astrium for the delivery of the spacecraft and look
forward to a successful launch campaign with ILS Proton.’
SES-6 will have a launch mass of 6,100 kg, a wingspan of 40m once its solar arrays
are deployed in orbit, and a spacecraft power of 13 kW at the end of its 15-year
design lifetime.
SES-6 will be the sixth Eurostar satellite in the SES fleet, following the successful
launch of ASTRA 2F in September 2012. Three more Eurostar E3000s for SES are
currently in final integration and tests in Astrium facilities.
