SiriusXM Awards Maxar Another Satellite Build Contract for SX-10

SXM-7, built by Maxar Technologies for SiriusXM. Photo: Maxar Technologies

SiriusXM has ordered another Geostationary Orbit (GEO) satellite from Maxar Technologies, after the SXM-9 satellite order announced earlier this month. SXM-10, a high-powered digital audio radio satellite, will be built on Maxar’s 1300-class platform. 

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Maxar did not give an expected launch date for the satellite. 

“Maxar has been manufacturing communications satellites for SiriusXM for decades, and we’re proud to continue this relationship for both SXM-9 and SXM-10,” said Chris Johnson, Maxar’s senior vice president of Space Programs Delivery.

Maxar recently completed in-orbit testing for the SXM-8 satellite, and handed the spacecraft over to SiriusXM. The SXM-8 satellite was launched by SpaceX on June 6, 2021. This success follows the failure of SXM-7, which experienced a payload failure after it was launched in December 2020. SiriusXM said at the time that the failure would not impact its operations. Maxar reported a $28 million impact in fourth quarter 2020, including $3 million in costs trying to repair and recover the satellite and a $25 million cumulative adjustment for the satellite.