SpaceX successfully launched SES’s final three O3b mPOWER satellites from Cape Canaveral on Sunday, 13 September 2026, with Falcon 9 booster B1080 completing another droneship landing in the Atlantic. Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 40 came at 2:49 p.m. ET (18:49 GMT), sending Boeing-built mPOWER 11, 12, and 13 toward medium Earth orbit (MEO).
The launch completes SES’s planned O3b mPOWER deployment on schedule, bringing the constellation to its planned 13 satellites. Unlike the earlier missions, which carried two spacecraft at a time, this final Falcon 9 mission flew three satellites together.
Liftoff and Landing
Falcon 9 launched the O3b mPOWER / mPOWER-F mission with booster B1080 flying for the 29th time. After completing its first-stage duties, the booster separated from the upper stage and began its return to the Atlantic.
B1080 landed on A Shortfall of Gravitas, adding another successful recovery to a booster that has now flown nearly two and a half dozen missions. The recovery also allowed SpaceX to refurbish the booster while dedicating the upper stage to sending the three SES satellites on their way.
The satellites were deployed individually, spaced out by approximately 7 minutes each. SpaceX’s mission timeline placed the first deployment at around T+33:41, followed by the second at T+40:41 and the third at T+47:41.
The Final Three Satellites
The mPOWER 11, 12, and 13 satellites launched bring the total number to 13, completing the 2nd generation constellation that SES and Boeing have been building across the previous missions. They will work in conjunction with SES’s first generation O3b satellites and provide a high-bandwidth solution for governments and enterprises.
The satellites are not immediately ready to provide customer service. They still need to raise their orbits and complete in-orbit testing before entering operational service. SES and Boeing had previously targeted an operational window around mid-2027, so that remains the operational timeline.
The launch itself was straightforward. Falcon 9 lifted off on schedule, all three mPOWER satellites were deployed, and B1080 returned to A Shortfall of Gravitas. With the final trio now heading to their final orbit, SES’s 13 satellite O3b mPOWER constellation is on track to completion.
