SES announced that the first two O3b mPOWER satellites were successfully launched into space by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, United States.

Built by Boeing and designed to deliver unprecedented performance with first-of-its-kind software-driven payload, O3b mPOWER is SES' second-generation medium earth orbit (MEO) system which offers a terabit-level scale roundtrip latency of less than 150 milliseconds and unmatched service availability.

The O3b mPOWER ecosystem is easily scalable and consists of initial 11 powerful satellites, each equipped with more than 5,000 digitally formed beams and an extensive next-generation ground infrastructure.

'Much more than just another satellite launch, today marks the next milestone of our MEO journey. Since starting this journey, we have gone on to positively impact millions around the world,' SES Chief Executive Officer Steve Collar said. 'Today, with our second-generation O3b mPOWER, we are bringing game-changing technology that delivers a unique combination of multiple gigabits per second of throughput at any location, guaranteed reliability and service flexibility that is a first in the industry.'

Jim Chilton, Boeing Space and Launch senior vice president, stated that from concept to reality, the partnership with SES while developing the first-of-its-kind technology has been remarkable.

'These next few months will be another critical collaboration period as we prepare the next nine satellites for launch and enable these first satellites to fulfill their mission to connect people around the world.'

O3b mPOWER commercial service is expected to begin in the third quarter of 2023 and several customers who have signed up for O3b mPOWER include Microsoft, Princess Cruises, Marlink, Jio Platforms, Orange, Claro Brasil and the newly announced Vodafone Cook Islands.