Program: O3B Networks

S2935

12 MEO satellites built by Thales Alenia Space; 10 Gbps per satellite, Ka-band, covering regions from 45°North to 45°South (later claims are 63° North and South), 8000 km orbit. O3B Networks Ltd is based in Jersey (Channel Islands, British Islands) a British Crown Dependency not a member of the United Nations.

Capacity is not to be used by end users, rather resold via terrestrial networks.

A signal power anomaly was found in the first 4 satellites, which will delay the program. Became fully operational in September 2014.

in 2015, SES owns 45% of the company. 12 new satellites are to be built by Thales Alenia Space, and launched in 2018.

in 2016, SES increases ownership to 50.5% and later to 100% (cost of $730 million to go from 49.1 to 100%). Eight new satellites are on order to deploy in 2018 and 2019.

In Nov 2016 the company applied for 8 new satellites to be launched in 2017 and 2018.

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Downlink frequencies

Satellites 1-16	Satellites 17-20	Satellites 21-30 (O3bI)	Satellites 31-42 (O3bN)
17.8-18.6 GHz	17.8-18.6 GHz	17.8-18.6 GHz	17.8-18.6 GHz
18.8-19.3 GHz	18.8-19.3 GHz	18.8-19.3 GHz	18.8-19.3 GHz
		19.3-19.7 GHz	19.3-19.7 GHz
	19.7-20.2 GHz	19.7-20.2 GHz	19.7-20.2 GHz
			37.5-42.0 GHz

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Uplink frequencies

Satellites 1-16	Satellites 17-20	Satellites 21-30 (O3bI)	Satellites 31-42 (O3bN)
		27.5-27.6 GHz	27.5-27.6 GHz
27.6-28.4 GHz	27.6-28.4 GHz	27.6-28.4 GHz	27.6-28.4 GHz
		28.4-28.6 GHz	28.4-28.6 GHz
28.6-29.1 GHz	28.6-29.1 GHz	28.6-29.1 GHz	28.6-29.1 GHz
		29.1-29.5 GHz	29.1-29.5 GHz
	29.5-30.0 GHz	29.5-30.0 GHz	29.5-30.0 GHz
			47.2-50.2 GHz
			50.4-51.4 GHz

In 2017, a plan to expand the program to 42 satellites, with 10 satellites in inclined orbit, and 32 satellites in equatorial orbit was announced.

O3b also would like to add a mobile-satellite service (MSS) designation to its proposed use of the 19.7-20.2 GHz and 29.5-30.0 GHz frequency bands, and to use the 19.3-19.7 GHz and 29.1-29.5 GHz frequency bands for MSS feeder links.

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O3B mPOWER

Eleven BSS 702X customised satellites which will be launched by 4 Falcon 9 rockets. Electric orbit raising, operating in Ka-band.

Will have approx 4000 fully shapeable and steerable beams per satellite
1900 kg mass at launch

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O3bN (satellites 31-42)

This would be a new constellation of 24 equatorial satellites at 8062 km using a wider range of Ka-band frequencies, including V-band:
downlink: 37.5-42.0 GHz
uplink: 47.2-50.2 GHz and 50.4-51.4 GHz

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O3bI (satellites 21-30)

New constellation of up to 16 satellites in a 70° x 8062 km deployed in 2 planes. Ka-band. That would enable a full Earth coverage.

In mid-2022 the company filled to add more satellites operating in Ka-band. There would be 10 equatorial MEO satellites, 24 inclined MEO satellites and 36 sun-synchronous LEO satellites.

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External resources

http://www.o3bnetworks.com/

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