Sirius XM has ordered two direct radio broadcasting communications satellites from the US/Canadian firm Maxar Technologies.
Following on from an earlier order for SXM-9 and -10, SXM-11 and -12 have been ordered with a view to launching them in the 2026-2027 time period. Like the earlier order, the new pair of satellites will use the standard 1300 bus design – a platform design which stretches back to the days of Ford Aerospace. The satellites, based in geostationary Earth orbit, will mainly provide services to the North American continent with powerful antennas/amplifiers to reach the “hard to get at” Northern regions of Canada and Alaska.
An artistic rendering of Maxar’s SXM-11 and SXM-12 satellites for SiriusXM. Courtesy: Maxar
