SES-5 launch delayed

Technical problems with a Proton launch vehicle have postponed the launch of SES’s new satellite.

SES-5 was scheduled for launch on June 19 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. However, an out of tolerance telemetry reading on a first stage subsystem was detected during pre-flight testing, requiring the launch vehicle to be returned to the processing hall for additional testing.

A new launch date will be announced.

SES-5’s 36 active Ku-band transponders and up to 24 active C-band transponders will be located at 5° East. It will feature two Ku-band beams, one serving customers in the Nordic and Baltic countries and the other one serving sub-Saharan Africa as well as two C-band beams, one with global coverage and one with hemispheric coverage over Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The satellite provides Ka-band uplink capability, allowing for operations between Europe and Africa.