O3b mPOWER: SpaceX Falcon 9 700th Mission Launches 3 Telecom Satellites For SES

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched at 1849 UTC, from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40), Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Suinday (Sept. 13), carrying the Boeing-built final three satellites (O3b mPOWER 11, 12, and 13), to Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) for Luxembourg-based SES' O3b mPOWER constellation.

The Falcon 9 first-stage booster B1080, completed its 29th flight and landed on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean a little less than nine minutes after liftoff.

The rocket's upper stage, meanwhile, continued hauling the O3b mPOWER trio to MEO. The satellites were deployed as scheduled, in a staggered 14-minute window starting roughly 33.5 minutes after launch, using onboard electric propulsion to reach their operational orbits at 8,000 kilometers.

The final satellites feature re-engineered power systems and software adjustments implemented after early power module anomalies were identified in the first four satellites launched in 2022 and 2023. The O3b mPOWER satellites weigh about 1,700 kilograms apiece. SpaceX has launched all of them, on six Falcon 9 launches beginning in December 2022.

Sunday's launch added the final three spacecraft to the constellation, bringing the total to 13 satellites in MEO. The O3b mPOWER network is designed to deliver low-latency, high-throughput broadband connectivity for government, enterprise, and maritime customers. The new satellites are expected to enter full commercial service by mid-2027.

The network is "purpose-built to deliver predictable low latency, exceptional throughput and unprecedented flexibility for industries where uptime isn’t optional," according to the company. "It transforms how networks operate by pairing advanced software defined satellites with an intelligent ground and software ecosystem — ensuring guaranteed performance, even as global bandwidth demands surge," the company wrote.

Sunday's launch was SpaceX's 107th orbital mission of the year. Falcon 9 has performed 105 of those flights, with Falcon Heavy conducting the other two. This also marks the 700th mission for the Falcon rocket family.