NSS-11 was ordered by GE Americom as GE-1A, built by Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems (LMCSS) based on their A2100A satellite bus, for Americom Asia-Pacific (AAP), a joint venture between GE American Communications and Lockheed Martin Global Telecommunications.

In 2001 GE Americom was acquired by SES from Luxembourg, making SES the world’s biggest satellite service provider. After the acquisition GE Americom was renamed SES Americom and later SES World Skies, and resulted also in renaming the satellite assets, GE-1A became NSS-11.

GE-1A is a high-powered, all Ku-band satellite composed of 28 active transponders. The satellite operated at 108° East longitude and features three beams covering China; North-East Asia and the Philippines and South Asia including India. GE-1A was launched on October 10^th, 2000, on a Proton K rocket operated by launch operator ILS from the Baikonour Cosmodrome launch site in Kazachstan.

In early 2004, AAP 1 was transferred to Worldsat LLC, a new subsidiary of SES Americom as Worldsat 1, but was renamed AAP 1 again in early 2005. In March 2007, the satellite was transferred to SES New Skies and named NSS 11, when SES acquired New Skies Satellites.