SOLNA, Sweden -- A few months after signing its first launch contract, Swedish satellite startup has signed a contract with SSL to manufacture the company's first geosynchronous orbit (GEO) satellite. The total investment for the satellite (Ovzon-3) including manufacturing, launch, financing and insurance is estimated to approximately SEK 1.5 billion ($165.9 million).
The satellite features a central On-Board Processor (OBP), developed by Ovzon and already being manufactured by a third party. The OBP will be connected to high performance steerable beams. When Ovzon signed a launch contract with SpaceX in October 2018, the launch was planned for the fourth quarter of 2020. However, the new contract pushes launch back to 2021. Ovzon has indicated that the deal with SpaceX has been modified to meet the new launch date.
The deal is also significant because SSL parent, Maxar Technologies, is considering letting go of its GEO satellite manufacturing operations as demand for GEO satellites declines. The company has already begun selling real estate owned by SSL and may sell or spin off SSL itself. It's not clear how this deal will affect those plans; however, it is clear that operations will need to continue until at least 2021.
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