A Boeing Co. Project to Build Three Satellites for Mexico is Complete

A Boeing Co. project to build three satellites for Mexico is complete. And once the final two are sent to space by 2016, the country’s government communications will rival U.S. capability.

The program, dubbed Mexsat, was signed in 2010, about a $1 billion agreement. The fourth-generation hardware was built and now waits in El Segundo at the company’s satellite factory, which was once a Nash Rambler automobile manufacturing facility.

The network’s purpose is to provide services for military, police and emergency services.

Paul Weisbrich, an aerospace mergers and acquisitions expert for D.A. Davidson & Co., said Mexico’s new network will be cutting edge.

“Almost every country wants to have its own satellite system because if you don’t have one, you’re like someone trying to hail a cab,” Weisbrich said.

Boeing made two 702HP geomobile satellites and contracted the third to Orbital Sciences Corp., which made GEOStar-2 for non-mobile communications. Orbital’s hardware went to space on an Ariane 5 in December of 2012.

Bill Ostrove, an aerospace and defense analyst at Connecticut based consulting firm Forecast International, said this project represents diversification for the company.

“Boeing is very big in large geosychronous communtication stellites, but they tend to focus on the U.S. government projects and large commercial satellite operators,” he said.

The satellites, which last about 15 years, were named to celebrate milestones in Mexican history. Bicentenario, built by Orbital, honors Mexico’s independence from Spain; Centenario, the 100th anniversary of the Mexican Revolution; and Morelos-3 was named after the first Mexican satellites in space.

Two ground stations, located in Iztapalapa and Hermosillo, were included in the contract and will relay space-based signals. Those signals will interface with terminals based on ships and satellite phones with antennae about the size of a cigar.

Once deployed, the Boeing satellites will be more than 134 feet long and suck up sunlight through five-panel solar wings. The 702HPs will extend an antennae roughly the size of a high school basketball court to send signals to Earth.

For Boeing, the project is the revival of an old partnership.

The company has already provided Mexico with five satellites dating back to 1985. The last one before the new crop was launched in 1998 and remains in service today.

Boeing will launch its next satellite for Mexico early next year on a Russian Proton-M rocket, and the final piece of the network on an Atlas V by 2016.

Ron Dukat, who directed the Mexsat program for Boeing, said that while Europe is pretty well wired, many gaps remain elsewhere around the globe.

Indeed, fellow aerospace giant Lockheed Martin did a deal with Vietnam, completing the second of two satellites in the summer of 2012. China has been among the most active in building satellites, providing space communications hardware to developing nations such as Nigeria, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

“With all the remote areas that still exist around the world, we see that there is a future for these type of systems,” Dukat said.

Contact the writer: 562-453-7332 or [email protected]

A Boeing Co. project to build three satellites for Mexico is complete. And once the final two are sent to space by 2016, the country . . .

Follow Us On Google News | Get Our Newsletter



Trending News on PVDN

  • sargassum-slams-cancun-playa-restaurantsSargassum Crisis in Cancún and Playa del Carmen Forces Restaurants and Beach Clubs to Cut Staff Businesses in Cancún and Playa del Carmen report steep losses due to sargassum, with restaurants losing diners and beach clubs sending staff on unpaid leave. Restaurants and beach clubs along the shores of Puerto Juárez in Cancún and Playa del Carmen are grappling with a sharp downturn in business due to a relentless invasion of…
  • puerto-vallarta-flooding-landslide-hurricane-erickHeavy rains flood Puerto Vallarta streets and trigger landslide in tunnel Flooding from remnants of Hurricane Erick paralyzed key roads in Puerto Vallarta and caused a landslide in the Luis Donaldo Colosio tunnel, Civil Protection continues damage assessment. The city of Puerto Vallarta was overwhelmed Thursday night by heavy rainfall that caused major flooding, stranded vehicles, and triggered a landslide in the Luis Donaldo Colosio bypass…
  • tropical-storm-erick-warnings-mexico-coastHurricane Erick will bring heavy rains to Puerto Vallarta Hurricane Erick Puerto Vallarta will bring heavy rains to Puerto Vallarta by Friday but poses no risk to the northern coast of Jalisco. Meteorologist Víctor Manuel Cornejo López, of the Civil Protection scientific committee for the Bay, reports that Hurricane Erick will deliver significant rainfall to Puerto Vallarta without threatening the region’s safety. According to…
  • huracan-erick-2025-mexico-peligroHurricane Erick Becomes Eastern Pacific’s Strongest Cyclone of 2025, Eyes Mexico’s Southwest Coast Hurricane Erick rapidly intensified off Mexico’s Pacific coast, becoming the second hurricane of the 2025 season and threatening southwestern Mexico with dangerous wind, rain, and storm surge. This story is available in Spanish: El huracán Erick se fortalece rápidamente y amenaza la costa suroeste de México The 2025 eastern Pacific hurricane season continues to surge…
  • hurricane erick damagePuerto Escondido and Pinotepa Nacional suffer severe damage from Hurricane Erick (VIDEO) Hurricane Erick caused widespread destruction in Oaxaca's coastal towns, including Puerto Escondido and Pinotepa Nacional, with downed power lines, flooding, and road closures. Oaxaca’s southern coast is reeling after Hurricane Erick made landfall early Thursday morning, slamming into Santiago Pinotepa Nacional at 5:30 a.m. with maximum sustained winds of 205 kilometers per hour. Although the…
  • Arrivals at Puerto Vallarta airport increases nearly 50 in JanuaryAirlines warn of possible flight delays and cancellations in Puerto Vallarta Airlines warn of possible flight delays and cancellations in Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara, Mexico City, and more due to Hurricane Erick. Flexible travel policies are now in place. Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco — Travelers passing through Puerto Vallarta International Airport and other major airports across Mexico may experience delays or cancellations due to the ongoing effects of…
  • sargassum-free-beaches-quintana-roo-summer-2025Sargassum-Free Beaches in Quintana Roo for Summer 2025, including beaches in Cancún Travelers looking for sargassum-free beaches in Quintana Roo this summer can still find clear waters in Isla Mujeres and parts of Cancún, according to updated reports. As the summer travel season ramps up, much of the Caribbean coast is once again dealing with sargassum, the brown seaweed that washes ashore in thick mats and affects…
  • puerto-vallarta-flooding-first-storm-2025Puerto Vallarta hit by flooding, fallen trees, and damaged roads after first storm of the season Heavy rain and a nighttime storm caused widespread flooding, road closures, and downed trees in Puerto Vallarta. Several key roads remain impassable. PUERTO VALLARTA — The first major storm of the rainy season swept through Puerto Vallarta overnight, leaving behind extensive damage across the city, including widespread flooding, blocked roads, and fallen trees. By morning,…
  • cancun-hotels-sargassum-cleanup-failuresCancún government demands answers from hotels on sargassum cleanup failures Mayor Ana Paty Peralta will meet with hotel leaders in Cancún to address failures in sargassum cleanup efforts, amid growing environmental and public health concerns. The municipal government of Benito Juárez is taking a firmer stance on the growing sargassum problem in Cancún, calling on the hotel industry to explain its inadequate handling of seaweed…
  • Know your consumer rights in Mexico Is it legal for restaurants to include the tipPuerto Vallarta restaurants face 33 percent staff shortage Restaurants in Puerto Vallarta face a 33% staffing shortfall as they prepare for a busy summer holiday season, aiming to boost sales by up to 60% despite ongoing labor challenges. As Puerto Vallarta prepares to welcome a surge of summer tourists, the city’s restaurant sector is grappling with a serious staffing problem—operating with roughly one-third…
Scroll to Top