SES, the European satellite giant, will be the first company to hire SpaceX to launch a satellite on a previously flown rocket stage, the company said today. The job is hugely significant for SpaceX.
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“Thanks for the longstanding faith in SpaceX”, SpaceX chief Elon Musk said via Twitter. Part of its master plan is a reliably reusable rocket – one that can land safely and protect its internals, minimizing repairs and delivering cost savings.
The attention SpaceX has attracted as it has developed and tested reusable rockets has encouraged satellite operators and insurers to make the leap into reusability alongside them. “SES has been a strong supporter of SpaceX’s approach to reusability over the years and we’re delighted that the first launch of a flight-proven rocket will carry SES-10”. It hopes to expand its Florida inventory this weekend, as it attempts to launch an Israeli communications satellite.
Unstated is how much SES is paying – or not paying – for its launch.
The booster to be used is the first stage of the Falcon 9 that sent more than 1.5 tonnes of supplies to the International Space Station on 8 April. The goal is to routinely recover, refurbish and relaunch booster stages to dramatically lower launch costs.
SES-10 has been built in the United Kingdom and France by Airbus Defence and Space.
The booster was then brought to Texas, where it was tested and OKed for a second flight. Right before that point, the booster detaches, careens at a hypersonic speed toward Earth, and re-fires its engines to gently land on a robotic drone ship.
Artist’s concept of the SES 10 satellite.
SES (Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG) is the world-leading satellite operator with a fleet of more than 50 geostationary satellites.
“We believe this is the way to go forward”, Halliwell said. FOCusing on value-added, end-to-end solutions in four key market verticals (video, enterprise, mobility and government), SES provides satellite communications services to broadCASters, content and Internet service Providers, and mobile and fixed network operators, as well as business and governmental organISAtions worldwide. With a Ku-band payload of 55 36MHz transponder equivalents, of which 27 are incremental, the multi-mission spacecraft is the first SES satellite wholly dedicated to Latin America.
The SES-10 satellite, built by Airbus Defense and Space, will be part of the Simon Bolivar 2 satellite network.
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The high-altitude destination needed for SES 10’s launch likely means the Falcon 9 first stage will have to land at sea again.
