SES Space & Defense (SES SD), a wholly owned subsidiary of SES, has successfully launched a demonstration payload aboard Planet Labs PBC’s (Planet) Pelican-12™ satellite, in support of NASA’s Communications Services Project (CSP).
The launch took place today, October 20, 2026, at 7:04 a.m. ET aboard the Bandwagon-5 rideshare mission with SpaceX from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
NASA announced it will gradually sunset its Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) fleet and acquire commercial space relay services for future science missions in low Earth orbit (LEO). In 2022, NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation division awarded $278.5 million to industry through the Communications Services Project to fund development and demonstration of space relay services.
SES Space & Defense has demonstrated LEO Relay Service (LRS) on both geosynchronous and O3b mPOWER medium Earth orbit data relay systems on orbit to provide low and high data rate services for mission backhaul and spacecraft state of health. The demonstration will continue to expand commercial service capability with the use of the Pelican satellite.
Planet’s Pelican is equipped with an internally developed Software Defined Radio (SDR) and paired with a folded optic flat slab tracking antenna for low latency, high throughput backhaul of mission data enabling a global capstone test to complete the SES Space & Defense CSP demonstration.
“Global testing of our relay network is the culmination of four years of product development for the LEO Relay Services (LRS) utilizing the operational on-orbit constellations,” said Sam Sutton, vice president of Space Data Relay Services at SES Space & Defense. “LRS enables low latency, persistent connectivity regardless of satellite location, enabling critical data backhaul, Telemetry, Tracking and Command (TT&C).”
Upon completion of the demonstration, SES Space & Defense will have completed another key step for NASA’s CSP effort, advancing the validation of commercial capabilities to move toward future operational support for near-Earth science missions.
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About SES Space & Defense
SES Space & Defense is a wholly owned subsidiary of SES and is focused on building, managing, and supporting the most advanced satellite network solutions for the U.S. Government. SES Space & Defense uses a proven multi-operator network integration and management capability, a broad global terrestrial network, as well as access to SES’s multi-orbit satellite fleet. It also offers U.S. Department of Defense customers the essential tools in cybersecurity for mission-critical operations, coupled with a proven track record in governance and compliance. SES Space & Defense operates under a proxy board, enabling it to support classified projects, and it has participated in the U.S. Government satcom sector for nearly six decades. Further information can be found at: www.sessd.com.
Forward-looking Statements
This press release contains certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words and expressions such as “will,” “expand,” and “move toward.”
Forward-looking statements are not assurances of future performance and are subject to inherent uncertainties and risks that are difficult to predict. Factors that might cause such a difference include those discussed in SES’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Form 20-F, such as risks of satellite destruction, damage or other failures or degradations in performance that could impair their commercial performance; and risks relating to disruption of business due to disruptions or failures of information systems, satellite control and operations networks, and other technology. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date hereof and we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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