Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) has been selected by SES to build two C-band satellites that will operate in the upper portion of the spectrum. This award supports the Federal Communication Commission’s order to make the lower portion of C-band spectrum available to mobile network operators to further the rollout of critical 5G services in the United States.

“This award demonstrates SES’s continued confidence in our GEOStar satellite platform and the excellent relationship that has been developed over the years between our two companies,” said Amer Khouri, vice president, communication missions, Northrop Grumman. “These will be the 8th and 9th GEO communications satellites built for SES by Northrop Grumman, and will continue our legacy of delivering quality spacecraft that support our customer’s most critical needs.”

“The timeline to build and launch these C-band satellites is ambitious, and we are fully committed and proud to be working with our long-time American partner Northrop Grumman to build these two satellites in the United States for the millions of cable TV households across the country, while clearing spectrum as quickly as possible for 5G use,” said Steve Collar, CEO of SES.

The C-band satellites are set to launch in 2022.

Northrop Grumman solves the toughest problems in space, aeronautics, defense and cyberspace to meet the ever evolving needs of our customers worldwide. Our 90,000 employees define possible every day using science, technology and engineering to create and deliver advanced systems, products and services.

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