How essential is satellite delivery for SiriusXM, the nation’s subscription-based audio content delivery service? With adoption of its smartphone app a disappointment for CEO Jennifer Witz and a refocus on building in-car subscription rolls, the company on Tuesday officially lit up its SXM-11 satellite, making it operational.
This follows successful in-orbit testing and handover by Intuitive Machines to the company. SXM-11 is the 15th satellite launched for SiriusXM and will replace XM-5. It is part of SiriusXM’s ongoing satellite fleet-refresh program. SXM-9 and SXM-10 commenced service in 2025, and SXM-12 is currently scheduled for launch in 2027.
SXM-11 launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on June 28. It is described as “the most powerful satellite” in SiriusXM’s fleet and is designed to improve signal reception, expand Alaska coverage and support reliable service across North America. SiriusXM remains inaccessible in Hawaii without a smartphone app and an internet connection.
“Bringing SXM-11 into service strengthens our next-generation satellite fleet and reinforces the long-term resilience of our network,” said Chief Product and Technology Officer Sean Gibbons. “For listeners, that means a premium in-car experience with broad, reliable coverage, including where cellular service may be limited. Through SiriusXM with 360L, we combine that reach with the choice, personalization and interactivity of streaming, to bring the best of both technologies together in millions of vehicles.”
Built on the Intuitive Machines IM 1300 satellite platform, SXM-11 weighed more than 15,000 pounds at launch. The satellite stands 28 feet tall and spans more than 106 feet with its solar panels deployed. Orbiting 22,000 miles above Earth, SXM-11 features a large, unfurlable 30-foot (9 meter) main beam antenna that broadcasts audio and data to users on the ground, with an estimated eight million square miles of broadcast coverage.
SXM-11 carries an additional communications payload that will be used to deliver expanded WCS-band coverage.
SXM-11 by the numbers
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More than 15,000 pounds: SXM-11’s launch weight, approximately the weight of a school bus.
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Nearly 60%: The portion of the satellite’s launch weight made up of fuel supporting its journey and in-orbit operations.
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28 feet: The height of the satellite.
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22,000 miles: The satellite’s orbiting distance above Earth.
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8 million square miles: The satellite’s approximate broadcast coverage footprint.
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More than 106 feet: The satellite’s span with its solar panels deployed – approximately the height of a 10-story building laid on its side.
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30 feet: The diameter of SXM-11’s large, unfurlable S-band reflector (9 meters).
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210 million: The estimated number of SiriusXM-equipped vehicles across North America supported by SiriusXM’s proprietary satellite network.
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15th satellite: SXM-11 is the 15th spacecraft launched for Sirius, XM and SiriusXM.
