SES has scrapped two geostationary satellites that Intelsat ordered before SES acquired the company, mirroring Eutelsat's retreat from GEO expansion. Both operators are abandoning growth strategies conceived just years ago.
The cancellations reflect shifting market dynamics in satellite communications. Geostationary orbit once dominated global telecommunications, but competition from low-earth orbit constellations, terrestrial 5G networks, and changing customer demands have reshaped the industry landscape. SES and Eutelsat, traditional GEO powerhouses, now prioritize efficiency over expansion.
SES acquired Intelsat in 2024 after the American operator emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The canceled satellites represented legacy commitments from Intelsat's pre-acquisition strategy. Rather than honor those orders, SES chose to reallocate resources toward higher-return ventures.
Eutelsat made similar moves earlier, scaling back its own GEO satellite program. The French operator instead invested in Onesat, a low-earth orbit constellation project, and pursued partnerships with SpaceX to distribute Starlink services across Europe and Africa through traditional satellite operators.
These pullbacks signal consolidation in the GEO sector. Satellite operators face pressure from multiple directions. SpaceX's Starlink, Amazon's Project Kuiper, and Viasat's aggressive deployment drain the broadband market. Meanwhile, regional players and emerging operators challenge GEO incumbents in fixed-satellite services and mobility applications.
SES maintains a substantial GEO fleet and continues investing selectively in new satellites for core markets. The company focuses on hybrid architectures combining GEO, MEO, and terrestrial services rather than pure GEO growth. This strategy acknowledges that no single orbital regime dominates modern space infrastructure.
The canceled satellites would have cost hundreds of millions of dollars