SES-17 Successfully Launched on Ariane 5
24.10.2021 07:08:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release
SES announced today that the SES-17 satellite was successfully launched into space onboard an Ariane 5 launcher operated by Arianespace from the Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana at 11:10 pm local time (02:10 am UTC).
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211023005019/en/
SES-17 Successfully Launched on Ariane 5 (Photo: Business Wire)
The multi-mission Ka-band satellite will provide comprehensive coverage across the Americas, the Caribbean and the Atlantic Ocean. From its orbital slot of 67.1 degrees West orbital slot, the very high throughput geostationary (GEO) satellite incorporating cutting-edge technologies is set to deliver the best connectivity experience for SES customers operating in the aeronautical, maritime, enterprise, and government markets.
Built by Thales Alenia Space, SES-17 marks an important milestone in satellite technology as the first Ka-band geostationary satellite to embark a fully digital payload powered the most powerful digital transparent processor (DTP) ever placed in orbit. It will have nearly 200 user beams that can be connected to any other beam at any time. This, combined with the ability to dynamically change the power and frequency allocation of any beam, means that SES-17 can adapt to changing customer needs in real-time.
It is also the first GEO satellite to use Adaptive Resource Control (ARC), an industry-first software system that leverages the full flexibility of totally digital payloads to autonomously adapt space and ground resources on the fly to meet customer needs.
Equipped with an all-electric propulsion system, the satellite will reach orbit as of mid-2022. When operational, anchor customer Thales InFlyt Experience will use SES-17’s connectivity to power its next-generation aviation connectivity solution, FlytLIVE. Thales InFlyt Experience will ensure both crew and passengers will have an always-on high-speed Wi-Fi connection at peak times and in high-traffic routes while optimising bandwidth.
“Today’s launch of SES-17 is an exciting milestone for our FlytLIVE Connectivity Solution currently flying within the United States,” said Craig Olson, Vice President at Thales InFlyt Experience. “The network and satellite architecture was specifically developed for the unique connectivity requirements of our commercial aviation customers and their passengers. With SES-17, FlytLIVE will provide full coverage for the entire Americas and North Atlantic Corridor delivering an unmatched connectivity experience in the air.”
“We are immensely excited to have SES-17 join our GEO fleet and medium earth orbit (MEO) constellation. SES-17 is the fruit of a successful collaboration between the Thales Group, Thales Alenia Space and SES, and will enable us to address the exponential connectivity demands in aviation and maritime, and to accelerate digital inclusion initiatives across the Americas,” said Steve Collar, CEO of SES. “Thanks to Arianespace, SES-17 is now on its way to orbit. We are looking forward to SES customers being able to leverage the high throughput, global reach and low-latency of SES’s multi-orbit, interoperable Ka-band satellite network comprising SES-17 and our upcoming O3b mPOWER constellation.”
“What a launch – SES-17 has mobilised all Thales Alenia Space experts – from the innovative design of the satellite itself to the last combined operations – and is now on its way to orbit. Fully-digital and highly-innovative, SES-17 will benefit from all the state-of-art technologies we have developed to fulfil the market’s connectivity needs,” said Herve Derrey CEO of Thales Alenia Space.
Follow us on:
Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | LinkedIn | Instagram
Read our Blogs >
Visit the Media Gallery >
About SES
SES has a bold vision to deliver amazing experiences everywhere on earth by distributing the highest quality video content and providing seamless connectivity around the world. As the leader in global content connectivity solutions, SES operates the world’s only multi-orbit constellation of satellites with the unique combination of global coverage and high performance, including the commercially-proven, low-latency Medium Earth Orbit O3b system. By leveraging a vast and intelligent, cloud-enabled network, SES is able to deliver high-quality connectivity solutions anywhere on land, at sea or in the air, and is a trusted partner to the world’s leading telecommunications companies, mobile network operators, governments, connectivity and cloud service providers, broadcasters, video platform operators and content owners. SES’s video network carries over 8,650 channels and has an unparalleled reach of 361 million households, delivering managed media services for both linear and non-linear content. The company is listed on Paris and Luxembourg stock exchanges (Ticker: SESG). Further information is available at: www.ses.com.
About Thales Alenia Space
Drawing on over 40 years of experience and a unique combination of skills, expertise and cultures, Thales Alenia Space delivers cost-effective solutions for telecommunications, navigation, Earth observation, environmental management, exploration, science and orbital infrastructures. Governments and private industry alike count on Thales Alenia Space to design satellite-based systems that provide anytime, anywhere connections and positioning, monitor our planet, enhance management of its resources, and explore our Solar System and beyond. Thales Alenia Space sees space as a new horizon, helping to build a better, more sustainable life on Earth. A joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), Thales Alenia Space also teams up with Telespazio to form the parent companies’ Space Alliance, which offers a complete range of services. Thales Alenia Space posted consolidated revenues of approximately 1.85 billion euros in 2020 and has around 7,700 employees in 10 countries with 17 sites in Europe and a plant in the US.
About Thales
Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies, investing in digital and “deep tech” innovations – connectivity, big data, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and quantum computing – to build a confident future crucial for the development of our societies. The Group provides its customers – businesses, organisations and governments – in the defense, aeronautics, space, transport, and digital identity and security domains with solutions, services and products that help them fulfil their critical role, consideration for the individual being the driving force behind all decisions.
Thales has 81,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2020 the Group generated sales of €17 billion.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211023005019/en/
Contact information
SES
Suzanne Ong
External Communications
Tel. +352 710 725 500
suzanne.ong@ses.com
Thales Alenia Space
Sandrine Bielecki
Tel.: +33 (0)4 92 92 70 94
sandrine.bielecki@thalesaleniaspace.com
Catherine des Arcis
Tel.: +33 (0)6 78 64 63 97
catherine.des-arcis@thalesaleniaspace.com
Thales Defence & Civil Aerospace
Maria Mellouli
+33 (0) 6 89 73 25 47
maria.mellouli@thalesgroup.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Vivax-Metrotech Partners with Oaktree to Accelerate Strategic Growth1.9.2026 17:00:00 EEST | Press release
Vivax-Metrotech Corporation (“Vivax-Metrotech”), a leading manufacturer of precision locating and inspection devices for utility infrastructure, and Oaktree’s Power Opportunities strategy, today announced a partnership to accelerate Vivax-Metrotech’s growth trajectory and strengthen its leading position. For more than 60 years, Vivax-Metrotech has delivered best-in-class solutions for the utility industry with a focus on underground infrastructure. From its origins in California, the company has expanded across the United States and internationally, developing and supplying locator systems, inspection cameras, and associated digital solutions that help utilities, municipalities, and service providers safely build, maintain, and manage their assets. Today, Vivax-Metrotech is firmly established as a leading player in the U.S. and Global utility locator equipment and inspection device markets. The partnership with Oaktree’s Power Opportunities group will support Vivax-Metrotech’s continue
GigaDevice Joins the Zephyr® Project to Foster Global Open-Source Ecosystem1.9.2026 17:00:00 EEST | Press release
GigaDevice, a leading semiconductor company specializing in Flash memory, 32-bit microcontrollers (MCUs), sensors, and analog products, has officially joined the Zephyr® Project, one of the world’s leading open-source real-time operating systems (RTOS). Hosted by the Linux Foundation®, the Zephyr® Project welcomes GigaDevice as a Silver Member, making GigaDevice a dual Silver Member of both the Zephyr® Project and the Linux Foundation. Leveraging its comprehensive GD32 MCU portfolio, GigaDevice will actively participate in the Zephyr® community, promoting deeper integration between its MCU technologies and the global open-source RTOS ecosystem. This will provide customers and developers in industrial, IoT, consumer electronics, and other fields with a more open, standardized, and efficient embedded development environment, while continuing to contribute to the growth of the global embedded open ecosystem and broader access to technology. With the continued evolution of the Internet of
Mary Kay Unveils New Global Brand Platform – Beauty Is More Beautiful Shared™ – Reclaiming Beauty as a Shared Experience1.9.2026 16:00:00 EEST | Press release
Today, Mary Kay Inc., the iconic beauty and entrepreneurship brand founded by the bold visionary Mary Kay Ash, announced Beauty Is More Beautiful Shared™, its largest-ever global consumer-facing campaign and a long-term brand strategy designed to drive its next era of growth. Launching across 40 markets worldwide, the campaign reintroduces Mary Kay to a new generation of consumers by celebrating a timeless truth at the heart of the brand: Beauty Is More Beautiful Shared™ and bridging the love for Mary Kay across generations. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260901735460/en/ Mary Kay announces Beauty Is More Beautiful Shared™, its largest-ever global consumer-facing campaign and a long-term brand strategy designed to drive its next era of growth. (Image Courtesy: Mary Kay Inc.) “Beauty Is More Beautiful Shared™ is a reflection of who we are and what we have always stood for: women supporting women,” said Ryan Ro
Visa Launches Enhanced A2A Protect Innovations to Help Financial Institutions Stop Fraud Before Money Leaves Accounts1.9.2026 16:00:00 EEST | Press release
Visa (NYSE: V), a world leader in digital payments, today announced an enhanced version of A2A Protect, delivering real-time risk insights that help banks stop account-to-account fraud before money leaves customer accounts. The expanded solution introduces a new unified fraud score—Visa’s first in-market integration of Featurespace technology—giving financial institutions faster, clearer signals to detect more fraud while reducing unnecessary alerts. As account-to-account (A2A) payments accelerate globally, A2A transactions are projected to surpass 5.8 trillion by 2028, a 160% increase from 20241. A2A Protect leverages advanced AI and sophisticated transfer learning and gives banks immediate access to critical global risk insights on A2A transactions, without waiting months for models to develop intelligence from a bank’s own transaction data, and without having to wait for other banks to join a consortium, delivering results and value from day one. Banks that opt in can incorporate ad
A New Generation of Filmmakers Is Here: 17 Original AI Films from Flick’s Summer Residency1.9.2026 16:00:00 EEST | Press release
What does the Love, Death & Robots look like when a new generation of filmmakers has generative AI at its disposal? This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260901631989/en/ Meet Flick Filmmakers. Flick Filmmaker Residency Summer 2026 Cohort offers one possible answer. The latest cohort brings together established storytellers from the traditional entertainment industry, including a former Disney screenwriter and Emmy Award-winning talent, alongside some of the most distinctive emerging voices in AI filmmaking. Together, they created a collection of original short films spanning science fiction, animation, surrealism, drama, and experimental cinema. Flick Filmmaker Residency is a selective, two-month program supporting a small cohort of indie filmmakers as they create original films using Flick. The program is free to apply to and includes bi-weekly sessions, creative mentorship, free credits, and early access to new f
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom