Thaicom 9A satellite repositioned to secure Thailand’s orbital rights

Thaicom is set to reposition an EutelSat satellite, now labelled Thaicom 9A, to the 50.5° East orbit. This move comes as the deadline to retain Thailand’s rights to the orbit approaches, expiring tomorrow, November 12.

The satellite operator aims to ensure the country’s continued access to this orbital position by completing the relocation process within the stipulated timeframe.

Last month, Thaicom’s subsidiary, TC Space Connect, secured the licence for this orbit from the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC). The company’s Chief Executive, Patompob Suwansiri, confirmed the proposal to the NBTC regarding the repositioning of the satellite, initially intended for the 119.5°E orbit in early 2025, to the new location.

“The shift of the 9A satellite to the 50.5°E slot will not affect our existing investment plan for the geostationary satellite launch.”

Another Thaicom subsidiary, Space Tech Innovation (STI), recently acquired the rights to use the 119.5°E and 78.5°E orbits during the 2023 NBTC auction. The decision to move Thaicom 9A has initiated discussions about potential adjustments to STI’s satellite deployment plans.

In a broader auction last month, the NBTC allocated the rights to three orbital slots: 50.5°E, 51°E, and 142°E. This allocation utilised a mix of direct awarding and a beauty contest method. While TC Space Connect was the sole bidder for all three slots, it only received the licence for the 50.5°E orbit.

Reissue award process

The NBTC found the proposals for the 51°E and 142°E orbits to be non-compliant with its criteria and plans to reissue the award process for these orbits within the next 60 days.

NBTC commissioner Somphop Purivigraipong mentioned that if TC Space Connect opts to use Thaicom 9A in the 50.5°E orbit, STI would need to revise its satellite strategy and present it to the regulator.

Thaicom’s board previously approved a 15 billion baht investment for satellite operations, focusing on the 119.5°E orbit, which includes the Thaicom 9A, Thaicom 9, and Thaicom 10 satellites. The launch timeline sees Thaicom 9A and Thaicom 9 commencing services in the first and third quarters of 2025, respectively, with the larger Thaicom 10 expected to launch by the end of 2027.

The geostationary satellite business has been a major revenue driver for Thaicom, contributing 98% of its income. In contrast, the space tech division, encompassing low-Earth orbit satellites, a carbon credit management platform, and a software-defined satellite, currently accounts for only 2% of revenue.

However, Suwansiri anticipates that the space tech segment’s contribution will rise to 20% of total revenue within three years, reported Bangkok Post.