Posted: Wed, Nov 18, 2009, 6:56 AM ET (1156 GMT)
Commercial satellite operator SES announced this week that it has invested in a startup company planning a constellation of broadband data satellites. SES said it will invest $75 million in O3b and provide engineering and commercial support to the company, whose earlier investors include Google and HSBC. O3b plans a constellation of satellites in medium equatorial orbit to provide Internet backbone services to ISPs and other telecommunications companies in underserved parts of the world. An initial set of eight satellites is under development by Thales Alenia Space and are planned for launch on Soyuz rockets in 2012.

Related Links:

•  Financial Times article
•  Space News article
•  Aerospace Daily article
•  SES press release