Satellite operator SES has contracted Swissto12 to develop large aperture electronically steered antennas for customer user terminals. The partnership marks Swissto12’s first antenna contract with SES, as announced on February 27.
The new antennas will be designed to support SES’s O3b mPOWER constellation, a second-generation Medium-Earth Orbit (MEO) system that began operations in 2024. The constellation aims to provide connectivity services to remote locations through full duplex Ka-band aperture electronically steered antennas, specifically targeting mobile backhaul applications.
Swissto12’s technology implements 3D printing techniques to create antennas that can replace traditional mechanically motorized systems. The company’s design combines transmit and receive functions in a single aperture panel, allowing for compact form factors while maintaining performance levels.
Jean-Pierre Choffray, vice president of Systems Engineering at SES, highlighted the potential cost advantages of the solution, stating “Swissto12’s solution which utilizes additive manufacturing is anticipated to offer a highly compelling performance and cost trade-off, crucial for this demanding application.”
While Swissto12 is primarily known for developing the HummingSat, a small Geostationary satellite platform, the company also maintains a portfolio of radio frequency products. According to Mathieu Billod, head of Satcom User Terminals at Swissto12, this agreement represents a significant milestone for their electronically steered antenna product line and their first contract with a major satellite operator.