SES Sees MEO Commercial Service in Q2, Addressing Power Glitches

SES' O3b mPOWER medium earth orbit constellation should start commercial service in Q2, with the launch of the fifth and sixth satellites in the constellation expected to be this month, SES said Tuesday as it announced Q3 financial results. It said it's taking steps to mitigate power module problems that have affected already-launched mPOWERs, but operational life and available capacity on the initial mPOWERs, while "significantly lower" than had been expected, shouldn't hinder the constellations' ability to serve current or future mPOWER customers. SES also said it plans to upgrade satellites 7-11 and add two more to the constellation. The company said it received its $3 billion C-band second-phase accelerated relocation payment in October.