SES Space & Defense
SES Space & Defense, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SES S.A., delivers multi-orbit (LEO, MEO, GEO) satellite communications, ground infrastructure, and managed services to U.S. and allied governments through GSA, NATO, and direct contract vehicles.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersReston, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What SES Space & Defense does
SES Space & Defense is a private, Reston, Virginia-based wholly-owned subsidiary of SES S.A. (Luxembourg) that delivers multi-orbit satellite communications (LEO, MEO, GEO) and integrated ground infrastructure to U.S. and allied government customers. Through O3b mPOWER (MEO), GEO high-throughput satellites including GovSat-1, LEO Relay Services, the Global Communications Network ground segment, and the ICT Portal network management layer, the company provides fiber-like MEO connectivity (~150 ms latency), uncontended committed information rates, anti-jamming waveforms, and continuous LEO-to-Earth relay. Customers include the U.S. Army, Space Force, Air Force, Navy, NASA, NATO member nations via NSPA, the Australian Defence Force, and the French Navy, alongside dual-use commercial space customers (Starlab, Planet Labs, Lynk Global).
The business model is government-centric and contract-driven. Revenue is generated through GSA contract vehicles (MAS, CS3 IDIQ, MEO BPA), the NATO NSPA MEO Global Services program, and direct multi-year task orders, with managed services, satellite bandwidth leasing, terminals, and engineering services as primary streams. Pricing is multi-year and not publicly disclosed; recent anchor awards include the U.S. Army's five-year $89.6M Sustainment Tactical Network contract (August 2025) and the multi-billion dollar PTS-G prime contract with U.S. Space Force (May 2026). Distribution is exclusively through government procurement channels supported by a proxy board enabling classified project support and ATO/ATC-cleared infrastructure.
Operationally, SES SD was materially reshaped by SES's July 2025 $3.1B acquisition of Intelsat, integrating Intelsat General Communications into the entity under President & CEO David Broadbent. The company is investing in the next-generation meoSphere MEO constellation (with K2 Space), AWS Modular Data Center connectivity, the WAVE waveform virtualization consortium, and additional infrastructure including a Tampa network operations center, positioning the combined entity as a sole-source multi-orbit COMSATCOM integrator for the U.S. government and its allies.
SES Space & Defense firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SES Space & Defense
- Legal name
- SES Space & Defense
- Website
- https://sessd.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- SES Space & Defense, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SES S.A., delivers multi-orbit (LEO, MEO, GEO) satellite communications, ground infrastructure, and managed services to U.S. and allied governments through GSA, NATO, and direct contract vehicles.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SES Space & Defense industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Government Satellite Communications
- NAICS
- Satellite Telecommunications (5174), Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing (336414), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)
- SIC
- Communications Services, Nec (4899), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373), Computer Communications Equipment (3576), Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760)
- akta.pro primary industry
- NTN-Enabled Emergency, Government & Defense Communications (Public Safety, Tactical, Resilience) (HDAIAJAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Satellite Network Operations & Capacity Services (NOC, Capacity Leasing, Managed Payload Services) (HDAIAJAI), Satellite Ground Segment & Gateway Services (Teleports, Gateways, Ground Station-as-a-Service) (HDAIAJAH), Military Aerospace Communications, Datalinks & Networking (IMABAMAK), Military Space Systems (Defense Spacecraft) (IMABACAC), Satellite Broadband Terminals & Gateways (VSAT/LEO CPE) (HDAFAIAM)
Keywords
Where SES Space & Defense is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Reston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
SES Space & Defense business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Managed Satellite Services: SATCOM as a Managed Service (SaaMS) providing end-to-end managed satellite connectivity including space segment, ground infrastructure, monitoring, and 24/7/365 support. Includes Sovereign Managed Services with self-defined hardware/waveforms and Commercial Managed Services via pre-defined terminals.
- Contract Vehicle Sales: Procurement through government contract vehicles including GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS), GSA Complex Commercial Satellite Communications Solutions (CS3) IDIQ, and Medium Earth Orbit BPA. Revenue derived from satellite bandwidth leasing, managed services, terminals, and engineering services.
- Enterprise IT Services: Full lifecycle enterprise IT services including LAN/WAN, Wi-Fi, 4G/LTE, 5G tactical networks, cloud services, VoIP, video conferencing, and field service support.
- LEO Relay Services: Real-time relay services for LEO satellites enabling continuous connectivity regardless of operational location, with telemetry tracking and command capabilities.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) - Commercial Satellite Communications |
| Hybrid | Multi-year contract | GSA CS3 Complex COMSATCOM Solutions |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | MEO BPA - Medium Earth Orbit Services |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
SES Space & Defense product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SES Space & Defense delivers managed multi-orbit (LEO, MEO, GEO) satellite communications for U.S. government, defense, intelligence, and allied government customers, combining the O3b mPOWER MEO constellation, GEO high-throughput satellites (including GovSat-1), LEO Relay Services, an integrated Global Communications Network ground infrastructure, and 24/7/365 managed services. Offerings are procured through GSA contract vehicles (MAS, CS3 IDIQ, MEO BPA) and the NATO NSPA MGS program and include Sovereign and Commercial Managed mPOWER services, cybersecurity, and Discreet Networks for classified missions.
Product overview
SES Space & Defense operates as a satellite communications provider offering an integrated multi-orbit satellite and ground infrastructure portfolio. The core offering includes O3b mPOWER (MEO constellation), LEO Relay Services, GEO satellite connectivity (including GovSat-1), Ground Infrastructure (GCN), Enterprise Management & Control (EM&C) Solutions, and Managed Services. These are delivered through contract vehicles including GSA MAS, GSA CS3, and the NATO MGS Program. The company provides both sovereign (government-operated) and commercial managed service options, supported by the ICT Portal for network operations and the GNOSC for 24/7 monitoring. Recent additions include the meoSphere next-generation MEO network and the PTS-G program for protected tactical SATCOM.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- O3b mPOWER: Second-generation Medium Earth Orbit satellite system providing high-throughput, low-latency satellite connectivity with committed, uncontended bandwidth for government, defense, and disaster recovery missions. Part of the all-orbit multi-orbit strategy.
- GCN (Global Communications Network)
- LEO Relay Services (LRS)
- ICT Ecosystem
- ICT Portal
- GNOSC (Global Network Operations Security Center)
- Discreet Networks
- mGS (MEO Global Services) Program
- Sovereign mPOWER Services
- Commercial Managed mPOWER Services (C3)
Products and services
- O3b mPOWER
- LEO Relay Services (LRS)
- Satellite Connectivity
- Ground Infrastructure (GCN — Global Communications Network)
- Enterprise Management & Control (EM&C) Solutions
- Managed Services
- GovSat-1
- meoSphere
- MEO Global Services (mGS) Program
- AWS Modular Data Center Connectivity
- PTS-G (Protected Tactical SATCOM-Global) Program
- Sustainment Tactical Network Service
- WAVE Cloud-to-Gateway Satcom Virtualization
Quantifiable outcome
- 99% global population coverage with multi-orbit satellite fleet
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use SES Space & Defense
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
SES Space & Defense technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
AI capability5 records
Feature8 records
SES Space & Defense partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- U.S. Space Force / Intelsat General CommunicationscorePTS-G (Protected Tactical SATCOM-Global) prime contract awarded through Intelsat General Communications operating division within SES Space & Defense. SES SD is one of two companies selected to deliver space vehicles for proliferated geosynchronous constellation providing resilient anti-jam military communications.
- Amazon Web Services (AWS)coreSatellite connectivity service enabling AWS Modular Data Centers to connect to AWS Regions via SES MEO and GEO satellites including O3b mPOWER. Targets US DoD customers in disconnected, disrupted, intermittent, or limited environments providing one-hop connectivity and network redundancy for field-deployed military operations. Builds on JWCC contract awarded to AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google, and Oracle.
- WAVE Consortium (IEEE)coreWAVE (Waveform Architecture for Virtualized Ecosystems) Consortium achieving first standardized waveform virtualization using FPGA acceleration in cloud at SATShow. Demonstration featured cloud-to-gateway satcom connection using digital IF technology with AWS deploying generative AI for real-time RF signal analysis. Consortium debuted WAVE specification 1.0 enabling multi-tenancy with minimal proprietary hardware.
- K2 SpacecoreStrategic partnership for meoSphere next-generation MEO satellite network. K2 Space provides high-power satellite platforms (20kW each) while SES provides software-defined payloads. Initial phase includes 28 satellite platforms with pathfinder missions over three years to test and validate bus and payload components in orbit.
- Lynk GlobalcorePartnership to enable Direct-to-Device (D2D) satellite capabilities for government users. Enables LEO D2D satellites to serve standard phones and IoT devices bypassing ground infrastructure, delivering resilient sovereign and scalable global connectivity for national security and disaster response.
- Luxembourg Government (GovSat Joint Venture)coreGovSat is a joint venture between SES and the Luxembourg Government operating military communications satellites. GovSat-1 provides X-band, Military Ka-band, and Global X-band beams for Europe, Middle East, Africa, and maritime coverage. GovSat-2 development announced July 2025 with Thales Alenia Space building enhanced digital processing capabilities.
- OneWebminorPartnership to connect underserved areas of Alaska using OneWeb LEO satellite services combined with SES Space & Defense ground infrastructure and managed services.
- NASA Communications Services Project (CSP)coreNASA CSP contract awarded to SES Space & Defense for commercial satellite relay services as NASA retires the TDRS system and adopts commercial services by 2031. Includes LEO Relay Services demonstrating in-orbit relay with Planet Labs and Johns Hopkins APL, first commercial service contract, and Starlab commercial space station contract.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights7 records
SES Space & Defense competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Peraton: Peraton is a leading U.S. government IT and SATCOM services prime with deep DoD/intelligence community presence, providing managed satellite communications, network operations, and integration services - directly competing with SES Space & Defense for government SATCOM service contracts.
- Iridium Communications: Iridium operates a global LEO satellite constellation providing secure voice and data services to U.S. DoD and allied governments (notably through the Iridium Government Services contract); it is a direct peer in the narrowband/tactical SATCOM market where SES Space & Defense also serves special user communities.
- Eutelsat Group (Eutelsat/OneWeb): Eutelsat's combination with OneWeb created a multi-orbit GEO+LEO operator with active U.S. government and European defense pursuits (including IRIS2); it is a direct peer competing on multi-orbit capability and sovereign capacity, particularly for NATO and allied markets where SES Space & Defense also has NATO MGS contracts.
- EchoStar Corporation (Hughes Network Systems): Hughes (an EchoStar company) provides managed satellite network solutions, ground systems, and terminals to U.S. government and DoD customers via GSA vehicles - directly comparable to SES Space & Defense's managed services, ground infrastructure, and SATCOM-as-a-Service offerings.
- Telesat: Telesat operates GEO satellites and is building the Lightspeed LEO constellation targeting government, defense, and connectivity markets - a direct peer in multi-orbit commercial SATCOM competing for the same DoD and Canadian/U.S. allied procurement dollars as SES Space & Defense.
- Viasat (now Viasat/Inmarsat combined): Viasat is a direct peer in satellite communications for U.S. government and DoD customers, offering Ka-/Ku-band GEO capacity, managed services, and terminals through similar GSA contract vehicles; the Inmarsat merger broadened its mobility and global Xpress offerings that compete head-to-head with SES Space & Defense's multi-orbit portfolio.
Broad incumbents
- Northrop Grumman Mission Systems: Northrop Grumman is a broad incumbent prime that builds protected MILSATCOM payloads (AEHF), space vehicles, and ground systems for the U.S. Space Force; it competes with SES Space & Defense in the protected tactical SATCOM and proliferated GEO architecture programs including PTS-G.
- Leidos: Leidos is a broad incumbent government IT and systems integrator that delivers satellite ground systems, network operations, and enterprise IT for DoD and intelligence customers - providing systems integration and managed network services that overlap with SES Space & Defense's ICT Ecosystem and GNOSC offerings.
- L3Harris Technologies: L3Harris is a broad incumbent defense prime that designs and operates tactical satellite communications terminals, anti-jam modems, and integrated SATCOM systems for DoD; it overlaps with SES Space & Defense on the terminal, waveform, and protected SATCOM architecture side of the value chain.
Emerging players
- SpaceX (Starlink): Starlink's proliferated LEO constellation has rapidly penetrated the U.S. DoD, allied, and HADR markets with low-latency commercial broadband; although not a traditional managed-services peer, it is reshaping government SATCOM procurement pricing and architecture - directly impacting SES Space & Defense's competitive positioning.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat7 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SES Space & Defense social profiles
Digital presenceSES Space & Defense compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
SES Space & Defense financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SES Space & Defense leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
SES Space & Defense subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
SES Space & Defense funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SES Space & Defense M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SES Space & Defense
What does SES Space & Defense do?
SES Space & Defense delivers managed multi-orbit (LEO, MEO, GEO) satellite communications for U.S. government, defense, intelligence, and allied government customers, combining the O3b mPOWER MEO constellation, GEO high-throughput satellites (including GovSat-1), LEO Relay Services, an integrated Global Communications Network ground infrastructure, and 24/7/365 managed services. Offerings are procured through GSA contract vehicles (MAS, CS3 IDIQ, MEO BPA) and the NATO NSPA MGS program and include Sovereign and Commercial Managed mPOWER services, cybersecurity, and Discreet Networks for classified missions.
Is SES Space & Defense a public or private company?
SES Space & Defense is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was SES Space & Defense founded?
SES Space & Defense was founded in 2009.
Where is SES Space & Defense based?
SES Space & Defense is headquartered in Reston, United States, in the North America region.
How does SES Space & Defense make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Managed Satellite Services are the primary driver. The others are contract Vehicle Sales, enterprise IT Services and LEO Relay Services.
Who are SES Space & Defense's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Peraton, Iridium Communications, Eutelsat Group (Eutelsat/OneWeb), EchoStar Corporation (Hughes Network Systems), Telesat and Viasat (now Viasat/Inmarsat combined). Broad incumbents are Northrop Grumman Mission Systems, Leidos and L3Harris Technologies. SpaceX (Starlink) is listed as an emerging player.
Does SES Space & Defense have an API?
Yes. SES Space & Defense provides API-driven interfaces for LEO Relay Services enabling automated control to establish relay contact with satellites. The interfaces integrate with existing tasking and scheduling systems for satellite contact management.
What industry is SES Space & Defense in?
SES Space & Defense's product category is Government Satellite Communications. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAIAJAJ, NTN-Enabled Emergency, Government & Defense Communications (Public Safety, Tactical, Resilience), with a secondary code of HDAIAJAI, Satellite Network Operations & Capacity Services (NOC, Capacity Leasing, Managed Payload Services). Its NAICS code is 5174 and its SIC code is 4899.