SiriusXM’s New SXM-7 Satellite Performing Properly After Launch
December 14, 2020 | Business WireEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
Maxar Technologies, a trusted partner and innovator in Earth Intelligence and Space Infrastructure, SiriusXM, a leading audio entertainment company in the United States, and SpaceX, has announced that the SXM-7 satellite was successfully launched and is performing properly.
SXM-7, a high-powered digital audio radio satellite, was launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, earlier today. Shortly afterward, SXM-7 deployed its solar arrays and began receiving and sending signals. Next, SXM-7 will begin firing its thrusters to commence its journey to its final geostationary orbit.
SXM-7 will provide continuous, reliable delivery of SiriusXM’s audio entertainment and information services to consumers in the United States, and will expand SiriusXM’s coverage area in Canada and the Caribbean for years to come. SXM-7 will deliver the highest power density of any commercial satellite on-orbit, sending more than 8,000 watts of content to the continental U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, increasing the power and reach of the signal for SiriusXM.
“Maxar and SiriusXM have worked together for more than two decades to build world-class digital audio radio satellites that bring entertainment to almost every new car in America,” said Megan Fitzgerald, Maxar’s Senior Vice President of Space Programs Delivery. “We are proud to have built the latest addition to the SiriusXM constellation and look forward to the launch of their next Maxar-built satellite, SXM-8, next year.”
“SXM-7 plays an important role in bolstering the continuity and reliable delivery of SiriusXM’s audio entertainment, as well as our traffic, weather, data and information services for years to come,” said Bridget Neville, SiriusXM’s Senior Vice President of Satellite and Repeater Systems Engineering and Operations. “With the addition of SXM-7, our satellite-delivered service coverage area in North America is larger and more powerful than ever before. We congratulate our engineering team, Maxar and SpaceX on a successful launch.”
“We had a beautiful Falcon 9 launch today, safely delivering SXM-7 to orbit,” said Lee Rosen, SpaceX’s Vice President of Customer Operations and Integration. “This was the seventh flight for this rocket’s first stage booster, and we are grateful SiriusXM chose our flight-proven hardware to help broaden its coverage area.”
SXM-7 weighs almost 7,000 kg and is built on Maxar’s 1300-class platform, the world’s most prevalent geosynchronous spacecraft platform. The satellite is designed to provide service for greater than 15 years. Maxar has previously built a total of seven satellites for SiriusXM, including its first-generation Sirius satellites that launched in 2000 and its second-generation Sirius satellites that launched in 2009 and 2013.
SXM-7 joins XM-3, XM-4, XM-5, FM-5 and FM-6 in SiriusXM’s active satellite fleet. SXM-7 and SXM-8 together will replace XM-3 and XM-4, extending SiriusXM’s satellite delivered services through at least 2036.
Suggested Items
Rocket Lab Successfully Deploys Satellites
04/24/2024 | BUSINESS WIRERocket Lab USA, Inc., a global leader in launch services and space systems, today deployed two satellites to two different orbits approximately 500km apart on its 47th Electron mission.
Fraunhofer IIS Opens Laboratory in Space
04/19/2024 | Fraunhofer IISRadiation, vacuum, and substantial temperature fluctuations: extreme conditions prevail in space, presenting a tough challenge for satellite communications. With the Fraunhofer On-Board Processor (FOBP), experiments can be conducted in space to explore whether new technologies are operational under real conditions.
RTX Provides Blue Canyon Satellite to Help Solve a Crucial Climate Challenge
04/16/2024 | RTXBlue Canyon Technologies, RTX's small satellite manufacturer and mission services provider, announced the successful launch and initial contact with the MethaneSAT satellite.
AST SpaceMobile ASIC Chip Enters Tape-Out Phase in Collaboration with TSMC
03/28/2024 | BUSINESS WIREAST SpaceMobile, Inc., the company building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by everyday smartphones designed for both commercial and government use, proudly announces the commencement of the tape-out phase for its Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), in collaboration with TSMC, the world's leading foundry.
Global Beam Telecom Joins Viasat’s ELEVATE Program to Provide Remote Connectivity and Industrial IoT
03/26/2024 | InmarsatViasat, Inc., a global leader in satellite communications, announced Global Beam Telecom, a global satcom solutions provider, has joined its ELEVATE program.