SES-10

SES-10, is a geostationary communications satellite owned and operated by SES S.A. and designed and manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space on the Eurostar E3000 platform.[3][4] It is positioned at the 67,0° West position thanks to an agreement with the Andean Community to use the Simón Bolivar 2 satellite network.[5][6][7] It replaces AMC-3 and AMC-4 to provide enhanced coverage and significant capacity expansion.[5]

SES-10
Mission typeCommunications
OperatorSES S.A.
COSPAR ID2017-017A
SATCAT no.42432
Websitehttps://www.ses.com/
Mission duration15 years (planned)
3 years, 10 months, 2 days (elapsed)
Spacecraft properties
BusEurostar E3000 [1]
ManufacturerAirbus Defence and Space
Launch mass5281.7 kg [2]
Power13 kW
Start of mission
Launch date30 March 2017, 22:27:00 UTC
RocketFalcon 9 Full Thrust
Launch siteKennedy Space Center, LC-39A
ContractorSpaceX
Entered service15 May 2017
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric orbit
RegimeGeostationary orbit
Longitude67.0° West
Transponders
Band55 Ku-band
Bandwidth36 Mhz
Coverage areaCentral America, South America, and Brazil
 

The satellite has a pure Ku-band payload with 55 transponders offering direct-to-home broadcasting and enterprise and broadband connectivity. Its three wide beams cover Mexico and the Caribbean, Brazil, and Spanish-speaking South America.[4][7]

After several delays, SES-10 was launched on 30 March 2017 aboard a Falcon 9 Full Thrust. The launch marked the first time in aerospace history that an orbital-class first stage was successfully reused. The first stage was recovered for a second time, setting another record.[8][9] A third record comes from a successful splashdown of the payload fairings.

Satellite description

SES-10 is based on the three axis stabilised Eurostar E3000 satellite bus. It has a mass of 5,281.7 kilograms (11,644 lb), produces 13 kW of power and has a design life of 15 years.[6][7] It uses a hybrid approach for spacecraft propulsion, using bi-propellant propulsion for orbit raising and electric propulsion for station keeping. Its electrical system uses a Hall-effect thruster with a Xenon regulator and feed system supplied by ArianeGroup.[10][11] ArianeGroup also supplies 14 S10-21 10 newtons (2.2 lbf) thrusters for the reaction control system, plus 17 pyrovalves and 13 fill and drain valves.[11] Its payload comprises 55 Ku-band transponders arranged in three wide beams. The first beam covers Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, the second beam covers Hispanic South America, and the third beam is dedicated to Brazil.[5]

History
Falcon 9 Flight 32, world's first reflight of an orbital class rocket, launching SES-10.

On 20 February 2014, SES S.A. ordered a new satellite, SES-10 from Airbus Defence and Space. It was to be built on the Eurostar E3000 platform, weight 5,300 kilograms (11,700 lb), produce 13 kW of power and have a design life of 15 years. It would be positioned in the 67.0° West orbital slot, which belonged to the Simón Bolivar 2 registry belonging to the Andean Community. From there, it would offer an all Ka-band to Latin American and the Caribbean.[6][7]

On the same day, SES disclosed that they had contracted with SpaceX for launch services. While initially thought to be launched aboard a Falcon Heavy due to performance limitations of the Falcon 9, it was clarified that it would, in fact, launch aboard the smaller rocket.[12][13] At that time, it was believed that the launcher could only perform geosynchronous transfer orbit missions of up to 4,850 kilograms (10,690 lb), but SpaceX spokeswoman Emily Shanklin disclosed that the company had reserved 450 kilograms (990 lb) for its own use.[13]

On 30 August 2016, it was announced that SES-10 would launch aboard a Falcon 9 Full Thrust rocket no earlier than the fourth quarter of 2016. On 30 March 2017, the launch from Pad 39A, Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Florida, became the first to reuse an orbital rocket's first stage, booster B1021, previously launched on the 23rd Falcon 9 mission[8][9] that launched CRS-8. After delivering the payload, the first stage landed on a drone ship, becoming the first orbital rocket stage to return from space for the second time. Additionally, one clamshell half of the payload fairing remained intact after a successful splashdown achieved with thrusters and a steerable parachute.[14][15]

On 15 May 2017, the satellite became fully operational at 67.0° West.[16]

See also

References
  1. Graham, William (30 March 2017). "SpaceX conducts historic Falcon 9 re-flight with SES-10 – Lands booster again". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
  2. de Selding, Peter B. (31 March 2017). "SpaceX's reusability effort faces one more big challenge". Space Intel Report. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
  3. Krebs, Gunter Dirk (30 August 2016). "SES 10". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  4. "SES 10". Satbeams. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  5. "SES-10". SES S.A. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  6. "Airbus Defence and Space signs a new satellite contract with SES". Airbus Defence and Space. 20 February 2014. Archived from the original on 16 January 2017. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  7. "Airbus Defence and Space contracted to manufacture SES-10 satellite". SES S.A. 20 February 2014. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  8. "SES-10 launching to orbit on SpaceX's flight-proven Ralcon 9 rocket". SES S.A. 30 August 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  9. Clark, Stephen (30 August 2016). "SES agrees to launch satellite on 'flight-proven' Falcon 9 rocket". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  10. "Space Systems Mission and system requirements for Electric Propulsion" (PDF). Airbus Defence and Space. 25 November 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 August 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  11. "SES-10". Airbus Safran Launchers Orbital Propulsion Center. Archived from the original on 31 August 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  12. Todd, David (20 February 2014). "SES-10 satellite to be built by Airbus DS and launched by a Falcon 9 Heavy". Seradata Space Intelligence. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  13. de Selding, Peter B. (20 February 2014). "SES Books Falcon 9 for 2016 Launch". Space News. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  14. Lopatto, Elizabeth (30 March 2017). "SpaceX even landed the nose cone from its historic used Falcon 9 rocket launch". The Verge. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
  15. Gebhardt, Chris (30 March 2017). "Re: SpaceX F9 : SES-10 with reuse of CRS-8 Booster SN/1021". forum.nasaspaceflight.com. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
  16. Russell, Kendall (15 May 2017). "SES 10 Satellite Now Operational over Latin America". Via Satellite. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
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