SES 2

About This Satellite

SES-2 launched on September 21, 2011 to renew communications at 87 degrees west, replacing AMC-3. Built on Orbital Sciences' Star 2.4 platform, it combined C-band and Ku-band capacity for North America and the Caribbean. Its commercial role included television distribution, enterprise networks and government communications.

Regional coverage included users beyond the coastline

SES highlighted Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean links for offshore platforms and maritime customers. C-to-Ku cross-strapping allowed connections across those frequency bands. This was a specific network capability, not a claim that any antenna could receive every service without compatible equipment.

The infrared experiment was a hosted payload, not the whole satellite

Alongside the communications equipment, SES-2 carried the Commercially Hosted Infrared Payload, or CHIRP. Its fixed telescope tested infrared observations from geosynchronous orbit. Sharing a spacecraft did not make the sensor a communications transponder, and its later shutdown must not be used as the retirement date of the SES-2 platform.

Mission reference: SES: SES-2 launch, regional communications role and hosted CHIRP sensor. Editorial review: 2026-09-15.

The sensor was tested while integrated with its host

SES's June 2011 report describes acoustic and vibration testing with CHIRP fully integrated onto SES-2. Follow-up checks included release mechanisms, sensor electrical tests and a software update sent from SAIC's Seal Beach facility. These checks addressed the combined spacecraft and payload, not just an isolated telescope. The report's anticipated August launch was a schedule forecast; the completed launch occurred in September.

Reference: SES, June 2011: integrated CHIRP dynamics and functional tests.

CHIRP completed an extended experiment in December 2013

The US Air Force records CHIRP decommissioning on December 6, 2013 after 27 months of operation. Its initial demonstration ended in July 2012, followed by three contract extensions. The reported results exceeded 300 terabytes of infrared data, supporting analysis of over 70 missile and rocket launches and over 150 other infrared events. Those are experiment results, not a present-day service promise or evidence that the host communications satellite ended operation on the same date.

Reference: US Air Force, December 2013: CHIRP completion, extensions and reported observations.

A shared launch still delivered two separate spacecraft

ESA documents Ariane 5 flight VA204 carrying SES-2 and Arabsat-5C into transfer orbits. Arabsat-5C separated first; SES-2 followed 35 minutes and 53 seconds after main-engine ignition. The planned operating locations were 20 degrees east and 87 degrees west respectively. Sharing the launcher did not make Arabsat-5C part of SES-2, and transfer-orbit delivery was distinct from reaching either final communications slot.

Reference: ESA: VA204 transfer-orbit delivery and separate spacecraft deployments.

Reading this orbital snapshot

Based on TLE epoch: 2026-09-05. Estimated altitude ranges from 35,775 km at perigee to 35,799 km at apogee, a difference of 24 km. The orbital period is about 1436.1 minutes. Eccentricity 0.00028 indicates a nearly circular path. In a two-body approximation, perigee speed is 1.00 times apogee speed. These are mean-element estimates, not instantaneous measurements. Distance per orbit uses an ellipse approximation.

Saved build snapshot. If a valid TLE is retrieved, this explanation and the orbit panel update together. Otherwise this dated snapshot is retained.

Ground track is not sensor coverage

An inclination of 0.26 degrees implies approximate geocentric ground-track limits of 0.3 degrees north and south. This is a prograde orbit, moving in the same general direction as Earth rotation. The plotted line marks the point beneath the object. It does not represent camera coverage, radio reception, or a guaranteed visible pass.

Is it fixed above one longitude?

The snapshot period is 1436.1 minutes. A sidereal day is about 1,436.07 minutes. Height alone does not establish a geostationary orbit: the period must match Earth rotation and the path must be circular and equatorial. This catalog uses a five-minute period tolerance for near-geosynchronous labels; near-geostationary additionally requires inclination at most 1 degree and eccentricity at most 0.01. These are browsing categories, not evidence of station-keeping or a fixed longitude.

Accuracy and missing information

The introductory record describes the build snapshot. The orbital snapshot explanation and orbit panel share any successfully retrieved TLE; check the displayed epoch. Reentered objects retain historical data only. Mission history is not rewritten by TLE updates. TLE/SGP4 positions are predictions and can change after maneuvers or updated observations. The 14-day stale-data cutoff is a display safeguard, not an accuracy guarantee. Local passes are geometric predictions, not a visibility forecast. No verified operator or mission status means unknown, not active. Do not use this catalog for collision avoidance or operational flight decisions.

Catalog sources: CelesTrak SATCAT: NORAD 37809 · GCAT: S37809 (source update 2026 Sep 4 2345:57). Supplementary metadata: SatNOGS DB, retrieved 2026-09-05T12:57:25.375Z. Page assembled 2026-09-15. GCAT phase codes describe trajectory phases, not mission health.

Learn more: TLE data · Perigee and apogee · Ground tracks · JOT (Jewawud Live Orbital Map)

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