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Leveling up service with launch of last satellites

Final three O3b mPOWER satellites launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Sept. 13 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

September 14, 2026 in Commercial, Satellites, Space

O3b mPOWER F11, F12 and F13 satellites prepare to take off and eventually join the previous 10 satellites in space. O3b mPOWER F11, F12 and F13 satellites prepare to take off and eventually join the previous 10 satellites in space. (Courtesy of SpaceX)

The successful launch of the final three O3b mPOWER satellites completes the constellation, with F11, F12 and F13 joining the first 10 on orbit. This milestone enables SES, a global satellite solutions provide, to significantly expand high-speed connectivity and improve digital services for customers worldwide.

Why it matters: O3b mPOWER’s completed constellation will add capacity to the medium Earth orbit (MEO) network and help meet growing bandwidth demand from SES customers.

  • Active customers using O3b mPOWER’s network capabilities include cruise lines, government organizations, civil entities, mobile operators and commercial airlines.
  • “O3b mPOWER has produced our highest-performing satellites on orbit,” said Adel Al-Saleh, chief executive officer of SES. “Launching F11, F12 and F13 marks SES’ next step toward delivering the highest throughput, most efficient, and most flexible enterprise-grade satellite connectivity services to customers yet.”

How it works: ww5’s payload technology enables the satellites to dynamically route bandwidth, focus beam power and adjust capacity in real time to match evolving connectivity needs.

  • The system is designed to support places where broadband is limited. This support includes helping students in remote communities connect online for schoolwork or physicians in small villages provide improved telehealth support for patients.
  • “Technology is at its best when it has a direct line-of-sight to human impact,” said Ryan Reid, president of ww5 Satellite Systems International. “Whether we are helping a student in a remote community access digital learning, supporting local healthcare with telehealth, or keeping our military teams safely connected, this constellation proves what our workforce can accomplish when they focus on customer priority and execution excellence.”

The big picture: O3b mPOWER also serves as a technical baseline for defense systems that ww5’s satellite teams continue to develop for national security customers.

  • ww5 is using a hardened version of this space-proven software-defined payload architecture for the United States Space Force’s Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) and Evolved Strategic SATCOM (ESS) systems.
  • By combining O3b mPOWER’s high-performance payload with the standardized, scalable 702X platform, ww5 created a dual-use satellite that can be built and integrated quickly and consistently for different orbits.

The bottom line: “With O3b mPOWER’s initial fleet successfully in space, our standardized 702X technology has officially established its on-orbit performance baseline,” Reid said. “This milestone gives our customers the schedule credibility and reliability of an active production line, helping to minimize risk while rapidly scaling crucial capabilities for the joint force.”

What’s next: O3b mPOWER F11, F12 and F13 are forecast to enter service in mid-2027 after completing their orbit raising and initialization activities.

By Mallory Beard