O3b (satellite)

O3b is the name of commercial communications satellites of the same British company O3b Networks, which belongs to the SES group of companies.

The first four satellites of this type were on June 25, 2013 at 19:27 UTC clock by a Soyuz -ST -B with Fregat -MT upper stage from the spaceport Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana in an approximately 7825 km high orbit directly above the brought equator. Planned are a total of 16 satellites, each of which started in groups of four and will arrive on similar lines. The agreement to launch satellites by Arianespace was signed in December 2011.

The three -axis stabilized satellites with 12 Ka - band transponders fitted (according to Thales 10 ) and 12 small antennas and to the transmission of Internet data in structurally weak areas are near the equator. They were built on the basis of the satellite bus ELiTeBus of Thales Alenia Space. The power supply of the satellite via two solar panels and associated batteries. The propulsion and attitude control system consists of eight small engines.