Thaicom-9 at 119.5° East (planned)
| Position: | Thaicom-9 at 119.5° East |
| Manufacturer: | Astranis |
| Operator: | Thaicom |
| Launch operator: | SpaceX |
| Launch vehicle: | Falcon 9 |
| Launch date: | 08/20/2025 |
| Expected lifetime: | 15+ Years |
Thaicom-9 at 119.5° East (planned)
Thaicom-9 at 119.5° East will be operated by satellite operator Thaicom from Thailand. It is a planned small software-defined, high-throughput communications satellite built by Astranis. The purchase contract was signed by Astranis and Thaicom’s subsidiary Space Tech Innovation Limited (STI) for the use of an Astranis MicroGEO satellite to deliver Ka-band services throughout Asia. Future satellites may be able to provide even more coverage. It is based on the same design as the other four 400-kilogram, washing machine-sized satellites the Californian manufacturer plans to deploy as part of Block-3.
The high-performance software-defined radio on board of the satellite enables it to dynamically alter frequencies, power levels, and other operational parameters while in orbit, as well as to alter coverage and bandwidth allocation to serve various geographical areas.
Thaicom-9 would provide Ka-band broadband at 119.5° East in geostationary orbit (GEO).
The spacecraft, together with four other Astranis-built satellites, will launch jointly in 2025 by SpaceX. Joining Thaicom-9 on a rocket Astranis has yet to announce are two satellites for Mexican telco Apco Networks and one for Orbits Corp. of the Philippines. A customer has not been disclosed for the fifth satellite.
Thaicom-9 at 119.5° East (planned)
