Loses Launch Contract Because Of The Delay

SpaceX will not be able to return to flight this month as it had hoped, and the delay has cost the company at least one launch customer.

SpaceX had hoped to have its Falcon 9 boosters ready to launch again before the end of the year following the loss in September of a rocket and satellite payload in a launch pad explosion. The company conducted an internal investigation which determined that variations in pressure and temperature during the fueling of the second stage caused the explosion. While the reports have not been finalized, SpaceX is still optimistic that it can get back to normal operations early next year, when it is scheduled to launch the Iridium-1 satellite from Vandenberg AFB in California, according to the website extremetech.com.

However, Inmarsat has moved on, announcing late last week that it has rescheduled the launch of an S-band satellite for the European Aviation Network atop an Ariane 5 heavy lift launch vehicle.

In a news release, Inmarsat said the "condosat" constructed by Thales Alenia Space which incorporates a second payload for Hellas-Sat, was originally scheduled for launch with SpaceX.  However, following the delay in SpaceX’s launch schedule, Inmarsat and Hellas-Sat took the decision to move the condosat to an Arianespace launch.

Inmarsat will launch Inmarsat-5 F4, a Global Xpress (GX) satellite, with SpaceX.  This launch is planned for H1 2017 and Inmarsat is looking forward to continuing to work with SpaceX going forward.

That launch is scheduled for mid 2017 from French Guiana.

(Image from file)

FMI: www.spacex.com, www.inmarsat.com