The project aims to develop, implement, launch and commercially operate an innovative geostationary satellite platform that utilizes electric propulsion (instead of conventional chemical propulsion) for transfer into geostationary orbit as well as on orbit station keeping. SES will lead the Electra project and in particular, the satellite design definition phase. To this end, SES will work in close cooperation with OHB System AG of Bremen, who will act as the prime contractor to SES.

The move to electric propulsion satellites is not a surprise and is likely one that many satellite operators are evaluating right now. One of the main talking points of SATELLITE 2012 were the deals involving Asia Broadcast Satellite (ABS), Satmex and Boeing which has bought the whole issue of ‘all-electric’ satellites into the spotlight. The joint procurement was announced in March this year. Boeing’s 702SP features all electric propulsion, which minimizes spacecraft launch mass and maximizes available payload. Satmex and ABS were able to make significant cost savings by making this joint procurement as well as using this new technology.

In an interview earlier this year, Martin Halliwell, Chief Technology Officer, admitted the operator wanted to see more competition in the satellite manufacturing space. He said, “We would like to see more competition. From our point of view, we would like to see Lockheed Martin, Thales and Boeing back in the mix. Lockheed basically does not have a modern satellite design right now. Thales’ offering is not quite what we want. Boeing is maybe closest to where we might be going in the future. So, we would like to see these guys back in the mix with Astrium, SS/L, Orbital…. We would encourage them to become more involved with us and to respond to our RFI’s and generally speaking have more active players again in this sphere.”

In that same interview, Halliwell admitted that the company was very interested in the whole issue of electrical propulsion. He added, “One of our internal working groups is very much focused on new technology and innovation. We started off with identifying about 65 different opportunities. Then, we knocked it down to about 12 we wanted to focus on. And we are putting real money, real resources behind that. The single most important one is electrical propulsion and electrical transfer orbit, so orbit raising capabilities on a spacecraft.”