Space Tech Expo Europe

Innovation - Future Satellite Architectures

PRESENTED BY PRESENTED ON Martin Halliwell 25 October 2017

SES Proprietary and Confidential | Classical Satellite Architecture From Astra 1A to SES-12 : upscaling

Body size: 1.5 x 1.7 x 2.1 m Body size: 2.1 x 2.35 x 5.3 m Solar panel span: 19 m Solar panel span: 42 m 16 active 45 W Ku-band transponders Payload Power: 15.1 kW Payload Power: 1.6 kW 76 active transponders (68x150 W+8x120W)

ASTRA 1A SES-12 Body Size (m3) 5.4 26.2 Dry mass (kg) 900 4250 Launch mass (kg) 1800 5470 Solar Panel span (m) 19 42 Payload Power (kW) 1.65 15.1 Active transponders 16 76 Analog Channels 16 347 TWT Power (W) 45 150 Capacity (MHz) 416 15581 Reflectors 1 8 Spots 1 89 Digitalization 0 17% Fuel life (Y) 13 22

SES Proprietary and Confidential | Innovation - Future Satellite Architectures 2 Classical Satellite Architecture SES-12

 Classical satellites are massive repetition of analog transmission chains made of basic analog building blocks  Each analog building block requires tuning and extensive testing  Flexibility requires large quantities of switches, combiners, filters, frequency converters

 High Satellite Complexity: • Double satellites: Wide beam + Ku HTS (both with massive analog flexibility) • Capacity: 48 TPE + 14 GHz • 2200 waveguides SES-12 - Y Wall • 4213 coax cables • 100 LNAs (in packs) • 40 Receivers • 91 TWTA, • 80 converters • 1000 switches (in packs) • 1 small processor (2.5 GHz)

SES Proprietary and Confidential | Innovation - Future Satellite Architectures 3 New Satellite Architectures HTS Perspective

 Full Payload Digitalization • Signal conversion to/from digital as close as possible of the antennas • Massive flexibility at marginal cost - full routing allowing any network topology - gradual deployments - spectrum risk mitigation - interference avoidance - dynamic resource allocation • Drastic reduction of part count • Short term: transparent payloads (no demodulation) • Mid term: regenerative payloads (demodulation) • Full potential unleashed by overall system rethinking (ground and space)  SES-12 HTS payload designed with next generation of DTPs • Simplistic assumptions: same power (8 kW), same footprint • DTP with 80 RF inputs and 80 RF Outputs, 2.5 GHz each • Total BW processed: 200 GHz • Frequency plan selected operationally (constrained by wide beams) • VSAT capacity @ SES-12 nominal EIRP: 20 GHz / 40 Gbps • VSAT capacity if spectrum if unleashed (full band usable): 100 Gbps

SES Proprietary and Confidential | Innovation - Future Satellite Architectures 4 New Satellite Architectures Digitalization

 Digital payloads will limit the quantity of analog hardware to the bare minimum, ultimately only input and output sections  In transparent payloads, the processor will implement classical functions in digital: filters, frequency conversion, combination, switching …

 A digital implementation has multiple advantages: • quantity of elementary functions increased by orders of magnitude • no tuning required • programmability in orbit

 The main challenges for full payload digitalization are • requires a x10 increase in processing capability (or more) • requires a x10 decrease in mass and power (to become comparable to analog items replaced) • reduction of analog hardware count require direct RF interface (Ku and Ka) • full flexibility requires remaining analog block to be redefined

SES Proprietary and Confidential | Innovation - Future Satellite Architectures 5 New Satellite Architectures Standardized Generic Satellite

 Objective: • Payload suited to SES satellites replacements • Standardized for cost reduction • Footprint fully adaptive • Frequency plan fully adaptive (channelization and strapping) • Dynamic resource allocation

 Ongoing Investigation: • Fully flexible satellite based on DTP with beam forming • Rethinking of the complete chain (wideband output, HPAs in linear mode and multi-port configuration …) • All new technologies considered to achieve the goal, taking into account the complete cost equation (platform, payload, launchers, ground …)

SES Proprietary and Confidential | Innovation - Future Satellite Architectures 6 MEO O3b mPower Constellation Overview

 7-spacecraft constellation at the same ~8000 km MEO equatorial orbit as O3b’s first generation  Seamless coverage over ±50° latitude, i.e. >76% if the Earth surface

 First batch launch Q4 2020 • Triple/Quad launch capability (compatible with multiple launchers)

 Constellation OSD Q4 2021

O3b mPower Constellation Tutorial – Revision 6.4 – 2017-09-?? – Use or disclosure of the data contained on this sheet is subject to the restrictions SES Proprietary and Confidentialon the cover | page 7 Satellites under Procurement Delivery time to orbit

 Breakdown of key activities duration on current satellites under procurement

Months Total to OSD 1- 6 7-12 13-18 19-24 25-30 31-36 37-42 43-48 SES-10 / ADS Design S/C Integration & Test 35 months Signature Nov-2013 Units procurement SES-12 / ADS Design S/C Integration & Test EOR 46 months Signature Aug-2014 Units procurement SES-14 / ADS Design S/C Integration & Test EOR 38.5 months Signature Feb-2015 Units procurement SES-15 / BSS Design S/C Integration & Test EOR 34 months Signature Feb-2015 Units procurement SES-16 / OATK Design S/C Integration & Test 29 months Signature Feb-2015 Units procurement Future 18-month Design S/C AI&T EOR 18 months Satellite Units

SES Proprietary and Confidential | Innovation - Future Satellite Architectures 8