SpaceX Launches Final Three O3b mPOWER Satellites for SES

SpaceX successfully launched the final three O3b mPOWER satellites for SES on September 13, 2026, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Liftoff occurred at 2:49 p.m. local time aboard a Falcon 9 rocket lifting off from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40).

Successful Launch Completes O3b mPOWER Constellation

The mission delivered the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth spacecraft—designated F11, F12, and F13—to medium Earth orbit (MEO). According to Runwaygirlnetwork, the flight marks the completion of SES’s second-generation MEO system designed to provide global high-performance connectivity.

Adel Al-Saleh, CEO of SES, called the flight a defining milestone. This launch marks a defining milestone for SES as we complete the O3b mPOWER constellation and further strengthen our MEO capabilities, Al-Saleh said in a statement published by SES Satellite. He added that the system reinforces the company’s ability to deliver resilient, secure, and scalable connectivity for governments, enterprises, cloud providers, and mobility customers worldwide.

Falcon 9 Booster Achievement and Launch Milestones

The launch utilized a Falcon 9 first-stage booster carrying tail number B1080. According to Spaceflight Now, the booster completed its 29th flight, having previously supported missions including the International Space Station resupply flight CRS-30, the European Space Agency’s Euclid observatory, and SES’s Astra 1P satellite.

SpaceX Launches Final Three O3b mPOWER Satellites for SES — Photo: SES Satellite

Following stage separation, booster B1080 successfully landed on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. The flight marked SpaceX’s 700th Falcon rocket launch to date, comprising 687 Falcon 9 launches and 13 Falcon Heavy launches. Additionally, the liftoff from SLC-40 marked the 400th orbital launch from the pad, with SpaceX accounting for 345 of those flights.

Weather conditions leading up to the flight indicated an improved outlook, with meteorologists and launch officials tracking a wave of Central Florida storms packing wind gusts up to 40 mph and lightning marching eastward from the Gulf Coast. Brevard County Emergency Management officials deactivated the agency’s launch operations support team following the successful liftoff.

Deployment and Path to Operational Status

The newly launched spacecraft will join 10 existing O3b mPOWER satellites already operating in medium Earth orbit. The spacecraft have a dry mass of 1,900 kilograms each, according to SES, and offer services ranging from tens of megabits per second to multiple gigabits per second of capacity.

The second stage of the Falcon 9 was scheduled to release the three satellites in a deployment staggered by seven minutes, beginning nearly 34 minutes after liftoff.

Following deployment, the satellites will undergo orbit-raising maneuvers, checkouts, and commissioning. Boeing anticipates that the new spacecraft will enter active service by the middle of 2027.

Ryan Reid, president of Boeing Satellite Systems International, noted that the fully operational constellation demonstrates the effectiveness of software-defined payload technologies. The fully operational O3b mPOWER constellation proves the effectiveness of our software-defined payload technologies, shown by our ability to secure the most demanding missions of our commercial, joint-force and allied military customers, Reid stated. Once operational, the expanded system will provide enhanced flexibility, resiliency, and expanded connectivity capacity for remote and demanding environments.