SpaceX Loses Launch Order to Arianespace
2016年12月8日 - 6:20PM
Dow Jones News
LONDON—Elon Musk's Space Exploration Technologies Corp. has lost
a spacecraft launch order from a major satellite operator to a
European rival after the failure of one of its rockets and delays
in resuming flights.
Inmarsat PLC Thursday said it would move the launch of one of
its satellites to the Arianespace Ariane 5 rocket. The London-based
satellite-services company said it took the action after delays in
the launch schedule for the Falcon 9 rocket, made by SpaceX, as the
rocket company is called.
SpaceX lost one of its Falcon 9 rockets in an explosion during a
routine refueling exercise in September at Cape Canaveral Air Force
Station in Florida. It destroyed an Israeli satellite Facebook Inc.
planned to use to provide internet access to people in sub-Saharan
Africa.
Investigators believe a refueling procedure led to the
failure.
SpaceX officials were trying to resume flights before year-end.
However, on Wednesday the Hawthorne, Calif.-based company said it
was still completing the investigation into the explosion and that
the resumption of flights had been pushed back to early January.
The extra time would allow additional testing to assure the next
launches are successful.
Inmarsat Chief Executive Rupert Pearce last month expressed
concern the investigation could impact the timing of future
launches and jeopardize some of his company's service plans.
Inmarsat was considering alternatives, he said.
The satellite being moved to the European rocket is a critical
element of Inmarsat's plan to provide high-speed in-flight Wi-Fi to
airline customers flying in Europe. British Airways-parent
International Consolidated Airlines Group SA is the launch customer
for the service, which is due to commence next year.
Finding an available rocket this close to a launch date can be a
challenge for satellite operators.
"We are delighted with flexibility that Arianespace has shown in
being able to provide a launch slot," Inmarsat chief technology
officer Michele Franci said.
Ariancespace is principally owned by a joint venture of Airbus
Group SE and France's Safran SA.
Despite moving the so-called European Aviation Network satellite
to the Ariane 5 rocket, Inmarsat on Thursday signaled continued
confidence in SpaceX.
The London-listed company would maintain the launch of one of
its Global Xpress satellites on a Falcon rocket. That launch is
planned for the first half of next year. "Inmarsat is looking
forward to continuing to work with SpaceX," the satellite services
company said.
--Andy Pasztor contributed to this article.
Write to Robert Wall at robert.wall@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
December 08, 2016 04:05 ET (09:05 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2016 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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