Intelsat S.A. (formerly Intel-Sat, Intelsat) is a Luxembourgish-American multinational satellite services provider with corporate headquarters in Luxembourg and administrative headquarters in Tysons, Virginia, United States.[2][3] Originally formed as International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (ITSO, or Intelsat), from 1964 to 2001, it was an intergovernmental consortium owning and managing a constellation of communications satellites providing international telecommunications and broadcast services.
In March 2023, rival satellite operator SES confirmed that it was in talks about a merger with Intelsat but in June 2023, it was announced that these discussions had ended.[4][5] On 30 April 2024, SES announced that an agreement had been reached to acquire Intelsat for US$3.1 billion, with the transaction expected to close in the second half of 2025.[6] The acquisition was completed on 17 July 2025.[7][8][9]
As of June 2022, Intelsat operated a fleet of 52 communications satellites which was then one of the world's largest fleets.[10] In 2020, the company announced plans to procure, build and launch seven C-band satellites over the next several years.[11] These C-band satellites will contribute to the acceleration of America's 5G buildout.[11] In early 2022, the company announced contracts for four GEO software defined satellites (SDS), two in partnership with Airbus and two in partnership with Thales Alenia Space, that are scheduled to launch in 2023.[12] These contracts point to the pursuit of a multi-year network transformation plan with investments designed to deliver higher speeds, more flexibility, redundancy, and backwards compatibility.[13]
As of 2022, the company served approximately 1,800 customers and employed a staff of approximately 1,790 people.[14]
History
John F. Kennedy instigated the creation of Intelsat with his speech to the United Nations on 25 September 1961.[15] Less than a year later, John F. Kennedy signed the Communications Satellite Act of 1962. Intelsat was originally formed as International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (ITSO) and operated from 1964 to 2001 as an intergovernmental consortium owning and managing a constellation of communications satellites providing international broadcast services. In 2001, the international satellite market was fully commercialized, and Intelsat was privatized after 2001 as Intelsat was formed up as a private Luxembourg corporation.[16]
International Governmental Organization (1964–2001)
The International Governmental Organization (IGO) began on (20), with 7 participating countries.[17] The 1964 agreement was an interim arrangement on a path to a more permanent agreement.
In-space refueling demonstration project
As of March 2011, Intelsat has agreed to purchase one-half of the 2000 kg propellant payload that an MDA Corporation spacecraft satellite-servicing demonstration project would take to geostationary orbit. Catching up in orbit with four or five Intelsat communication satellites, a load of 200 kg of fuel delivered to each satellite would add somewhere between two and four years of additional service life.[55] A near-end-of-life Intelsat satellite will be moved to a graveyard orbit 200 to(-) above the geostationary belt where the refueling will be done, "without consequence" to the Intelsat business.[56]
As of March 2010, the business model was still evolving. MDA "could ask customers to pay per kilogram of fuel successfully added to [each] satellite, with the per-kilogram price being a function of the additional revenue the operator can expect to generate from the spacecraft's extended operational life".[57]
The plan is that the fuel-depot vehicle would maneuver to several satellites, dock at the target satellite's apogee kick motor, remove a small part of the target spacecraft's thermal protection blanket, connect to a fuel-pressure line and deliver the propellant.
Satellites
Renaming
On 1 February 2007, Intelsat changed the names of 16 of its satellites formerly known under the Intelsat Americas and PanAmSat brands to Galaxy and Intelsat, respectively.[59]
Launch vehicles
Over time, Intelsat has worked with most of the commercial launch services providers worldwide. Their satellites are often among the most massive of their generation, requiring the most powerful and reliable rockets on the market at a given time. In the 21st century, most Intelsat missions were conducted by Arianespace with the European Ariane 4 and Ariane 5 launchers, and by International Launch Services (ILS) with Proton-K and Proton-M rockets manufactured by Khrunichev in Russia. Intelsat also took advantage of the equatorial
See also
- COMSAT
- Eutelsat
- Inmarsat
- Intelsat 708
- Intelsat Americas
- Intersputnik
- SES