User Manual

Communications
Mission Description
SES-8, a hybrid Ku- and Ka-band spacecraft, is the sixth GEOStar-2
™
satellite ordered by
SES S.A. The satellite is based on Orbital’s Enhanced GEOStar-2 bus, and carries 24 active
Ku-band transponders of 36 or 54 Mhz capacity switchable amongst 33 channels and two beams.
Certain channels in each beam are cross-strapped to multiple frequency bands, enabling exibility
for new services. In addition, the spacecraft features a Ka-band payload. The spacecraft generates
approximately ve kilowatts of payload power and features two 2.5 x 2.7 meter super elliptical
deployable reectors and a 1.45 meter xed, deck-mounted antenna.
The GEOStar
™
Advantage
Orbital’s highly successful Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) communications satellites are based on
the company’s GEOStar spacecraft platform, which is able to accommodate all types of commercial
communications payloads and is compatible with all major commercial launchers. The company’s
GEOStar product line includes the GEOStar-2 design, which is optimized for smaller satellite missions
that can support up to 5.0 kilowatts of payload power. Orbital has also developed the higher-power
GEOStar-3 spacecraft design, delivering the next increment of payload power for applications between
5.0 and 8.0 kilowatts, allowing Orbital to offer its innovative and reliable satellite design to the
medium-class of communications satellites.
Coverage:
South Asia and Indo-China
Mission:
Ku-band communications for South
Asia and Indo-China
Ka-band communications for the
Asia-Pacic region
Customer:
SES
FACTS AT A GLANCE
SES-8 in Orbital's Dulles, Virginia satellite
manufacturing facility
SES-8
Hybrid Ku-band and Ka-band Commercial Communications Satellite
GEO