Space Systems/Loral SES-5 satellite successfully launches, maneuvers

After a successful July 9 launch, the SES-5 satellite is now performing post-launch maneuvers that will place it in its proper orbit, according to its builder, Space Systems/Loral.

A Proton Breeze M vehicle from International Launch Services (ILS) lofted SES-5 from the Baikonur Space Center in Kazakhstan. Deployment of solar panel arrays went according to schedule, and the satellite has begun maneuvering into geosynchronous orbit with its main thruster.

The complex SES-5 is a multi-mission commercial satellite that will deliver high-speed broadband services to Europe and Africa. Its primary purpose is to provide high performance Direct-to-Home (DTH) services, broadband, maritime communications, GSM backhaul, and VSAT applications.

To ensure flexible operations, SES-5 carries 36 active Ku-band transponders, 24 C-band transponders, and Ka-band uplink capability. In addition, it has two Ku-band beams (one each for the Nordic-Baltic region and the Sub-Saharan African region) as well as two C-band beams that provide global and hemispheric coverage using up to 24 active C-band transponders.

Alongside its commercial capabilities, SES-5 also features an L-band navigation payload courtesy of the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service. Built upon European Commission requirements, the EGNOS payload will support existing satellite positioning services. The EGNOS payload will also provide users around the globe with expanded navigation signals that have become important for safety critical aviation and maritime applications.

Based on SS/L's robust 1300 multi-mission platform, the successfully-launched SES-5 will be the 71st satellite of its class in orbit.