SES-15, the new satellite from Luxembourg operator SES, has been delivered to Kourou (French Guiana) for launch, which is scheduled for next month. Meanwhile, another of the company's satellites (SES-10) is already at the SpaceX project site and is undergoing pre-flight preparation before launch from Cape Canaveral.
After the launch of the EchoStar-23 satellite, SpaceX will begin preparing SES-10 for launch on a rocket that was recovered after landing. This will be the first launch of an expensive communications satellite on a rocket that has already been used. Most observers expect the launch to take place in late March-early April. SES-10 will replace AMC-3 and AMC-4 and will provide coverage of Latin America from a point at 76 degrees west longitude.
These two satellites are the first pair in a series of launches planned for this year. In the summer, SES-11 will be launched at 105 degrees west longitude and will serve North America, the Caribbean, Hawaii and Mexico, replacing the AMC-18 satellite.
Airbus is building the SES-14 satellite for launch at 47.5 degrees west longitude; this satellite will replace NSS-806 and is designed to cover North America and the North Atlantic.
In addition, SES-12 will be launched this year. This satellite is designed to cover the Asia-Pacific region, including the rapidly growing markets of India and Indonesia. The satellite will replace NSS-6, located at 95 degrees east longitude.
SES is also involved in the GovSat-1 project - a joint venture with the Luxembourg government. The project is intended to provide reliable and secure satellite communications for government, defense and administrative needs.