SiriusXM’s SXM-9 Satellite Completes In-Orbit Testing and Begins Service

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SiriusXM’s SXM-9 Satellite Completes In-Orbit Testing and Begins Service

2025-01-29 23:00 Last Updated At：23:11

NEW YORK & PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 29, 2025--

SiriusXM and Maxar Space Systems announced today that the SXM-9 satellite has completed in-orbit testing and is now fully operational by SiriusXM after being successfully launched by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on December 5, 2024.

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“SiriusXM is committed to cutting-edge technology and enhancing the proprietary satellite delivery systems that help power our audio entertainment and information service offerings,” said Bridget Neville, SiriusXM’s Senior Vice President & GM of Signal Distribution Engineering. “The successful implementation of SXM-9 and expected launches of SXM-10, -11 and -12 will strengthen the health of our satellite fleet for decades to come and allow our team to continue innovating far into the future.”

“At Maxar Space Systems, we take pride in partnering with innovative companies like SiriusXM that push the boundaries of what’s possible,” said Chris Johnson, CEO of Maxar Space Systems. “The Maxar 1300™ platform is designed with mission adaptability and reliability in mind, making it an ideal choice for the requirements of SXM-9 and the upcoming SXM-10, -11 and -12 satellites. Maxar remains committed to delivering high-quality solutions that allow our customers to innovate and achieve their long-term objectives.”

SXM-9 will help provide continuous reliable delivery of SiriusXM’s audio entertainment and information services to consumers in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. SXM-9 is the tenth high-powered, digital audio radio satellite built by Maxar Space Systems for SiriusXM and is built on the Maxar 1300™ platform. SXM-9 is more than 27 feet tall and over 100 feet long with its solar arrays deployed, and weighed almost 6,400 kg at launch. SXM-9 features a large unfurlable S-band reflector antenna supplied by L3Harris that enables SiriusXM programming to reach approximately 167 million SiriusXM-equipped vehicles on the road today.

SiriusXM and Maxar Space Systems previously announced that Maxar Space has been commissioned to build the SXM-10, -11 and -12 satellites for SiriusXM, and those programs are ongoing with the expected launch of SXM-10 to occur later this year.

About Sirius XM Holdings Inc.

SiriusXM is the leading audio entertainment company in North America with a portfolio of audio businesses including its flagship subscription entertainment service SiriusXM; the ad-supported and premium music streaming services of Pandora; an expansive podcast network; and a suite of business and advertising solutions. Reaching a combined monthly audience of approximately 150 million listeners, SiriusXM offers a broad range of content for listeners everywhere they tune in with a diverse mix of live, on-demand, and curated programming across music, talk, news, and sports. For more about SiriusXM, please go to: www.siriusxm.com.

About Maxar Space Systems

Maxar Space Systems is a leading satellite manufacturer and provider of advanced solutions for space exploration and operations. We deliver innovative solutions to commercial and government customers helping them unlock the promise of space to solve problems on Earth and beyond. We address a broad spectrum of needs for our customers, including mission systems engineering, product design, spacecraft manufacturing, assembly, integration and testing. Maxar Space Systems is a trusted partner in commercial and government missions, combining more than 60 years of deep mission understanding and industry leading performance. For more information, visit www.maxar.com.

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The following factors, among others, could cause actual results and the timing of events to differ materially from the anticipated results or other expectations expressed in the forward-looking statements: Risks Relating to our Business and Operations: We face substantial competition and that competition is likely to increase over time; if our efforts to attract and retain subscribers and listeners, or convert listeners into subscribers, are not successful, our business will be adversely affected; we engage in extensive marketing efforts and the continued effectiveness of those efforts is an important part of our business; we rely on third parties for the operation of our business, and the failure of third parties to perform could adversely affect our business; we are migrating our billing system and payment processing function to a new service provider; failure to successfully monetize and generate revenues from podcasts and other non-music content could adversely affect our business, operating results, and financial condition; we may not realize the benefits of acquisitions or other strategic investments and initiatives; the impact of economic conditions may adversely affect our business, operating results, and financial condition; and we may be adversely affected by the war in Ukraine. Risks Relating to our Sirius XM Business: A substantial number of our Sirius XM service subscribers periodically cancel their subscriptions and we cannot predict how successful we will be at retaining customers; our ability to profitably attract and retain subscribers to our Sirius XM service is uncertain; our business depends in part upon the auto industry; failure of our satellites would significantly damage our business; and our Sirius XM service may experience harmful interference from wireless operations. 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Gunmen kill at least 16 people in attack on Hanukkah celebration on Sydney's Bondi Beach

SYDNEY (AP) — A child is one of at least 16 people killed in an attack in Australia at one of the world’s most famous beaches, officials said Monday.

Hundreds of people had gathered at Bondi Beach in Sydney for an event to celebrate the first day of Hanukkah, when gunmen opened fire.

At least 16 people are dead and 38 others injured in a terrorist attack authorities say was designed to target the Jewish community.

New South Wales Health Minister Ryan Park said the death toll had risen from 12 to 16 overnight, including a 12-year-old child.

Three other children are being treated in hospital, he said.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

SYDNEY (AP) — Two gunmen attacked a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney's Bondi Beach on Sunday, killing at least 11 people in what Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called an act of antisemitic terrorism that struck at the heart of the nation.

The massacre at one of Australia’s most popular beaches followed a wave of antisemitic attacks that have roiled the country over the past year, although the authorities didn’t suggest those and Sunday’s shooting were connected. It is the deadliest shooting in almost three decades in a country with strict gun control laws.

One gunman was fatally shot by police and the second was arrested and in critical condition, authorities said. Police said one gunman was known to security services, but there was no specific threat.

At least 29 people were confirmed wounded, including two police officers, said Mal Lanyon, police commissioner for New South Wales state, where Sydney is located.

Police said officers were examining a number of suspicious items, including improvised explosive devices found in one of the suspect’s car.

“This attack was designed to target Sydney's Jewish community,” New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said.

The violence erupted at the end of a summer day when thousands had flocked to Bondi Beach, including hundreds gathered for the Chanukah by the Sea event celebrating the start of the eight-day Hanukkah festival.

Chabad, an Orthodox Jewish movement that runs outreach around the world and sponsors public events during major Jewish holidays, identified one of the dead as Rabbi Eli Schlanger, assistant rabbi at Chabad of Bondi and an organizer of the event.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry confirmed the death of an Israeli citizen, but gave no further details.

Police said emergency services were called to Campbell Parade in Bondi about 6:45 p.m. responding to reports of shots being fired. Video filmed by onlookers showed people in bathing suits running from the water as shots rang out. Separate footage showed two men in black shirts firing with long guns from a footbridge leading to the beach, as sirens wailed and people cried out in the background.

One dramatic clip broadcast on Australian television showed a man appearing to tackle and disarm one of the gunmen, before pointing the man’s weapon at him, then setting the gun on the ground.

Minns called the man, named by relatives to Australian media as fruit shop owner Ahmed al Ahmed, a “genuine hero.”

Arsen Ostrovsky, a lawyer attending the Hanukkah ceremony with his wife and daughters, was grazed in the head by a bullet. Ostrovsky said he moved from Israel to Australia two weeks ago to work for a Jewish advocacy group.

“What I saw today was pure evil, just an absolute bloodbath. Bodies strewn everywhere,” he told The Associated Press in an email from the hospital. “It was like reliving Oct. 7 all over."

"I never thought would be possible here in Australia."

Lachlan Moran, 32, from Melbourne, told the AP he was waiting for his family when he heard shots. He dropped the beer he was carrying and ran.

"I sprinted as quickly as I could," Moran said. He said he heard shooting off and on for about five minutes. “Everyone just dropped all their possessions and everything and were running and people were crying and it was just horrible."

Albanese told reporters in the capital, Canberra, that he was “devastated” by the massacre.

“This is a targeted attack on Jewish Australians on the first day of Hanukkah, which should be a day of joy, a celebration of faith. An act of evil, antisemitism, terrorism that has struck the heart of our nation,” Albanese said.

He vowed the violence would be met with “a moment of national unity where Australians across the board will embrace their fellow Australians of Jewish faith.”

King Charles III said he and Queen Camilla were “appalled and saddened by the most dreadful antisemitic terrorist attack.” United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said on X he was horrified, and his “heart is with the Jewish community worldwide.”

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a post on X: “The United States strongly condemns the terrorist attack in Australia targeting a Jewish celebration. Antisemitism has no place in this world.”

Police in cities around the world, including London, said they would step up security at Jewish sites.

Australia, a country of 28 million people, is home to about 117,000 Jews, according to official figures. Antisemitic incidents, including assaults, vandalism, threats and intimidation, surged more than threefold in the country during the year after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and Israel launched a war on Hamas in Gaza in response, the government's Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism Jillian Segal reported in July.

Last year, the country was rocked by antisemitic attacks in Sydney and Melbourne. Synagogues and cars were torched, businesses and homes graffitied and Jews attacked in those cities, where 85% of the nation’s Jewish population lives.

Albanese in August blamed Iran for two of the attacks and cut diplomatic ties to Tehran.

Pastor Matt Graham was conducting a service at Bondi Anglican Church when panicked people began entering for shelter. He said antisemitism has been brewing in Sydney’s eastern suburbs including Bondi, where the Jewish community is centered.

"I’m surrounded by antisemitic graffiti constantly. I think for our community in the east (of Sydney), and as a Christian, I just want to declare I stand with the people of Israel,” Graham told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.

Israel urged Australia's government to address crimes targeting Jews. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he warned Australia’s leaders months ago about the dangers of failing to take action against antisemitism. He claimed Australia's decision — in line with scores of other countries — to recognize a Palestinian state “pours fuel on the antisemitic fire.”

“Your government did nothing to stop the spread of antisemitism in Australia ... and the result is the horrific attacks on Jews we saw today,” Netanyahu said.

Mass shootings in Australia are extremely rare. A 1996 massacre in the Tasmanian town of Port Arthur, where a lone gunman killed 35 people, prompted the government to drastically tighten gun laws, making it much more difficult to acquire firearms.

Significant mass shootings this century included two murder-suicides with death tolls of five people in 2014 and seven in 2018, in which gunmen killed their own families and themselves.

In 2022, six people were killed in a shootout between police and Christian extremists at a rural property in Queensland state.

McGuirk reported from Melbourne, Australia, and Graham-McLay from Wellington, New Zealand. Associated Press writer Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Mustakim Hasnath in London contributed to this report.