SES World Skies ordered in May 2010 the SES 6 hybrid satellite from EADS Astrium for delivery in 2013. It will replace the aging NSS 806 satellite.

SES-6 will offer 50 percent more C-Band capacity for the cable community, and retain the unique capability to distribute content between the Americas and Europe on the same high-powered beam. In addition, SES-6 will offer a substantial upgrade to Ku-Band capacity in the region with dedicated high power beams over Brazil, the Southern Cone, the Andean region, North America, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, while also offering an innovative payload to support mobile maritime and aeronautical services on the highly demanded routes from North America, the Gulf of Mexico, across the north Atlantic and to Europe.

With 43 C-Band and 48 Ku-Band 36 MHz equivalent transponders (38 C-Band and 36 Ku-Band physical transponders), the 6,000-kilogram satellite is expected to be launched in early 2013 and will have a design life of 15 years. It is built on the Eurostar-3000 bus.