Satellite operator wants money or free flight from SpaceX after explosion
Spacecom, the company that ordered the launch of the Amos 6 satellite, believes SpaceX owes the company $50 million, or a free new flight. During a test, the Falcon 9 launcher exploded and the satellite was also destroyed.
In a conference call attended by Reuters news agency, Spacecom said it could recover the $205 million cost to build the satellite from Israel Aerospace Industries. The builder of the Amos-6 communications satellite is insured for the accident, according to Bloomberg.
It is unclear what agreements SpaceX has made with Spacecom and to what extent the insurance will cover the costs for the failed launch. Elon Musk’s space company says in an email to Reuters that it does not make statements about the content of contracts or insurance terms.
After the explosion of the Amos-6 satellite, Spacecom’s stock went into free fall. The company was about to be acquired by the Beijing Xinwei Technology Group for 255 million euros. However, going through with the deal would depend on a successful launch. Now that Amos-6 has been lost, it is unclear whether the acquisition will still take place. The companies are still in talks.
The explosion last Thursday occurred during a test and was caused by a problem with the oxygen tank. According to the schedule, the Falcon 9 rocket should have launched the Amos-6 satellite on Saturday.
Mark Zuckerberg expressed his frustration on Facebook after the accident. He said he was deeply disappointed that SpaceX’s “launch failure” destroyed the Amos-6 satellite. Facebook, together with Eutelsat, was a customer of the services that would be provided via the satellite. Zuckerberg announced last year that Amos-6 would provide Internet connectivity in Africa through the Internet.org initiative.
SpaceX says that although the launch pad is damaged, it will be able to continue launches and fulfill its contract obligations. This is possible by diverting to other launch locations. The space company has more than 70 missions planned.
The Amos-6 satellite in better times