Rendering of Astranis-Thaicom Satellite

Thaicom taps Astranis to build THAICOM-9, an Astranis MicroGEO satellite. Thaicom, an Asian satellite and space tech company, selected Astranis to build a MicroGEO satellite to provide Ka-band services over Asia at 119.5 degrees East. 

The deal includes possible expansion of coverage to future satellites. The satellite will be launched in 2025.

THAICOM-9 will be equipped with a software-defined radio that can modify coverage and bandwidth allocation on orbit while dynamically changing frequencies, power levels, and other operational variables. 

Thaicom CEO Patompob (Nile) Suwansiri said this satellite will continue service for customers, fulfill demand in key markets and enable innovation for a wide range of products. 

“This is a major step forward for both Thaicom and Astranis. For Thaicom, their adoption of a MicroGEO satellite signals a continued commitment to staying at the forefront of innovation in Geostationary Orbit. To have Thaicom deliver this vote of confidence in Astranis’s technical and operational maturity should signal to other customers that the next generation of satellite technology in GEO is already here today, ” said John Gedmark, CEO and co-founder of Astranis.