Multi-orbit satellite operator SES is on the verge of realizing key strategic goals that have been years in the making.
After recently deploying the geostationary satellites needed to claim around $3 billion in C-band spectrum clearing proceeds, the company is now just months away from launching initial services for its upgraded O3b mPower broadband network in medium Earth orbit (MEO).
So many were surprised to see Steve Collar’s June 12 announcement that he was retiring as CEO two weeks later, following more than 20 years with the Luxembourg-based operator, including five years at the helm.
Collar was replaced by Ruy Pinto, who joined the company in 2017 and was previously its chief technology officer.
In his first SES earnings call as CEO Aug. 3, Pinto said an electrical glitch on the first four O3b mPower satellites was sporadically tripping off power modules — although the trip-offs could be resolved quickly without affecting payload performance.
Still, the issue has delayed the launch of the fifth and sixth O3b mPower satellites, which are needed for initial services and were slated to launch by the end of June as of the operator’s previous earnings call. Boeing is contracted to provide 11 Ka-band O3b mPower satellites to enable full services from the operator’s second-generation MEO constellation.
SpaceNews caught up with Pinto on the sidelines of Euroconsult’s World Satellite Business Week conference in Paris to learn more about how the operator is tackling its opportunities and challenges.
Steve Collar’s sudden departure as CEO in June surprised many in the industry. Was it also a surprise for you?
It was a surprise to a certain extent. But Steve is staying on as an advisor and is very much engaged in what is happening with the industry and what is happening with SES — I talk to him quite often.
Was it partly a result of diverging views with the board?
The board, Steve, the management team, and…
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