Following its launch from Cape Canaveral in June aboard a SpaceX rocket and subsequent orbital testing, SiriusXM’s SXM-11 satellite is operational.
SXM-11 is the 15th satellite launched for SiriusXM and will replace XM-5, according to the announcement. It is part of an ongoing fleet-refresh program. SXM-9 and SXM-10 commenced service in 2025, and SXM-12 is scheduled for launch in 2027.
The company says this is the most powerful satellite in its fleet and will improve signal reception, expand Alaska coverage and support reliable service across North America.
The satellite launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on June 28. SiriusXM and Intuitive Machines subsequently completed the commissioning and testing required to verify that the spacecraft and its communications systems were ready.
SiriusXM says the satellite is built on the Intuitive Machines IM 1300 satellite platform. It weighed more than 15,000 pounds at launch, approximately the weight of a school bus. Nearly 60% of the launch weight was from fuel supporting its journey and in-orbit operations, according to the announcement.
The satellite is 28 feet tall and spans more than 106 feet with its solar panels deployed. Orbiting about 22,000 miles above Earth, it features a large 30-foot main beam antenna that unfurls. It broadcasts audio and data to users on the ground, with an estimated 8 million square miles of broadcast coverage, according to a press release.
Sean Gibbons, chief product and technology officer, was quotes saying the satellite “strengthens our next-generation satellite fleet and reinforces the long-term resilience of our network.”
SiriusXM says more than 220 million SiriusXM-equipped vehicles in North America are on the road.
Gibbons says the satellite has broad, reliable coverage, including where cellular service may be limited.
The company says SXM-11 carries an additional communications payload that will be used to expand WCS-band coverage.
