O3b satellites suffer launch delays
December 16, 2024
By Chris Forrester
Two satellites owned by SES of Luxembourg have had their launch by SpaceX much delayed because of bad weather at Cape Canaveral.
SES has stated that such weather delays are common, with launch dates typically being more of an estimated timeframe rather than a fixed schedule. A new launch date is expected to be set in the coming days.
The two craft, built by Boeing, will complement the existing six SES O3b ‘mPOWER’ fleet of mid-Earth orbiting satellites and can be remotely reconfigured to suit varying conditions.
The upcoming launch will place the seventh and eighth satellites into Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) at an altitude of 8,000 kilometres. A total of 13 satellites are planned for the programme.
Reports from the Cape suggests that the Florida weather is easing and there’s talk of a December 17th launch date.
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