Satellite operator SES unveils its half-year results on Friday (July 28), and is expected to confirm that its upcoming QuetzSat-1 satellite will be launched in September, probably around the 14th by International Launch Services from Kazakhstan. The satellite left Space Systems/Loral’s facilities on July 23, headed for the launch site.

QuetzSat-1 has an unusual mission profile. While owned by Luxembourg-based SES, it has been leased to Charlie Ergen’s Dish Network, which will use 24 of the craft’s transponders to serve Dish, while the remaining eight will be used by Dish’s Mexico DTH operation. The craft will orbit from 77 degrees West.

However, the satellite has undergone an extremely close inspection by builders Space System/Loral because an earlier model of a very similar satellite from Loral (Telstar 14R), following its May launch, failed to deploy correctly one of its solar panels, leading to an insurance claim.

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