The SES-12 satellite, which has both traditional wide beams and high throughput capabilities, will, according to the company, meet the diverse needs of fixed data, mobility, government and video customers across Asia-Pacific (APAC).

Photo of the SES-12 satellite upon completion of manufacturing is courtesy of Airbus Defense and Space.

The SES satellite has arrived safely at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, in preparation for launch on board a flight-proven SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. SES-12, which is uniquely designed with state-of-the-art wide beams and high throughput beams, will join SES-8 at 95 degrees East to serve SES video and data customers across the APAC region and will replace and augment services currently provided on NSS-6.

Like SES-14 and SES-15, which serve the Americas, SES-12’s high throughput capabilities are SES’s answer to soaring connectivity demand in the aeronautical and maritime segments in the APAC region. SES-12 will also be pivotal in enabling governments that want to roll out connectivity programs to bridge the digital divide and in allowing telcos, mobile network operators and internet service providers to deliver more reliable cellular backhaul and broadband services.

Together with SES-8, SES-12 will reach 18 million TV homes from its 95° E orbital position and will provide payTV operators the reliability and scalability to deliver high-quality and immersive viewing experiences and address the ever-increasing audience demand for High Definition (HD) and Ultra HD content.

Photo of the SES-12 satellite during the mating process is courtesy of Airbus Defense and Space.

With six wide beams and 72 high throughput user spot beams, SES-12 is one of the largest geostationary satellites that SES has ever procured. The spacecraft also has a Digital Transparent Processor (DTP) that increases payload flexibility to provide much more customized bandwidth solutions to SES's customers. The all-electric SES-12 spacecraft was built by Airbus Defence and Space, and will rely fully on electric propulsion for orbit raising and subsequent on orbit maneuvers.

The SES-12 spacecraft will join SES’s network of seven geostationary satellites and 16 MEO satellites in the APAC region to provide unparalleled coverage to more than 20 countries.

Martin Halliwell, Chief Technology Officer at SES said that SES-12 was built to meet the needs of the company's customers across the Asia-Pacific region, and to empower them to capture massive growth opportunities in their markets. When co-located with SES-8, SES-12 will provide incremental high performance capacity and offer greater reliability and flexibility to the firm's video and data customers.”