The powerful, Maxar-built SXM-7 satellite arrived at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on October 13, 2020. Once on orbit, SiriusXM, the leading audio entertainment company in the United States, will use SXM-7 to ensure continuous and reliable delivery of SiriusXM’s entertainment and data services to tens of millions of subscribers across North America. SXM-7 will deliver the highest power density of any commercial satellite on-orbit, sending more than 8,000 watts of content to the continental U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, increasing the quality of signal for SiriusXM subscribers.
The SXM-7 satellite arriving at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
SXM-7 weighs almost 7,000 kg and will be carried to geostationary orbit by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket later this year. The satellite is built on Maxar’s 1300-class platform, the world’s most popular spacecraft platform, and it is designed to provide service for 15 years or longer. Once on orbit, the satellite will deploy a large unfurlable antenna reflector, which will enable broadcasts to mobile radios, such as those in moving vehicles.
The rendering above shows what SXM-7 will look like when fully deployed on orbit.
SXM-7 in full flight configuration at Maxar’s manufacturing facility in Palo Alto, Calif.
Maxar is also currently manufacturing SXM-8 for SiriusXM, which is expected to launch in 2021. Maxar has previously built a total of seven satellites for SiriusXM, including its first-generation Sirius satellites that were launched in 2000 and its second-generation Sirius satellites that were launched in 2009 and 2013.
Watch the launch on SpaceX’s website.