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[Satellite News – 3-19-08] With AMC-14 failing to reach its intended orbit following a problem with its Russian Proton launch vehicle, the launch services industry again faces an uncertain period.     This is the second failure since September for a Proton rocket carrying a commercial satellite for an International Launch Services (ILS) customer, and Sea...

[Satellite News – 3-17-08] A Proton Breeze M rocket suffered its second failure in six months when a problem with the vehicle’s second stage left SES Americom‘s AMC-14 short of its intended orbit March 15.     The satellite, which news reports claim is 8,000 kilometers short of its planned altitude of 36,000 kilometers, is in...

[Satellite Today – 3-15-08] An SES Americom AMC-14 satellite failed to reach its planned orbit after a Proton rocket suffered a second stage failure, Khrunichev and International Launch Services (ILS) announced March 15.         The Proton Breeze M rocket lifted off for the ILS commercial mission at 5:18 a.m. local time from the Baikonur...

[Satellite News – 1-29-08] Sea Launch has recovered from its launch failure a year ago and is planning a record-setting year that includes the inauguration of its new Land Launch service, Sea Launch President and General Manager Rob Peckham, said Jan. 24.     Sea Launch employees were “elated” with the launch of the Thuraya-3 mobile...

[Satellite News – 1-15-08] Sea Launch returned to flight with the launch of the Thuraya-3 mobile communications satellite Jan. 15, the first mission since the January 2007 failure of the Zenit-3SL vehicle carrying a satellite for SES New Skies.      “They’re back, which is a really good thing because the market really needs all three...

[12-28-07 – Satellite News] The year started with a bang and ended in disappointment for launch services provider Sea Launch, which was unable to recover from a January failure in time to perform any mission in 2007. International Launch Services (ILS) has a successful year despite the failure of its Proton vehicle in September, but...

[12-14-07 – Satellite News] Thuraya Satellite Telecommunications Company (Thuraya) now hopes to see its Thuraya-3 satellite launched before the end of January. The launch of the satellite had been scheduled to take place in November, but due to unfavorable weather conditions at the launch site, Thuraya-3 remains grounded.     Yousuf Al Sayed, Thuraya’s CEO, exclusively...

[11-15-07 – Satellite Today] The Ariane 5 rocket placed the SkyNet 5B and Star One C1 satellites into orbit, Arianespace announced Nov. 14.     SkyNet 5B, built by Astrium Services, is the second of three satellites that will form a new constellation to meet the U.K. Ministry of Defence’s communications requirements.     Star One C1,...

Fixed satellite services (FSS) companies abandoned some traditional forms of satellite insurance in the early 2000s due to high premiums and insurance rates, relying instead on self-insurance through the use of backup satellites. Now as more money flows into the market and insurance rates and premiums decline, more innovative insurance arrangements are luring FSS operators...

The September failure of an International Launch Services (ILS) Proton rocket is the latest incident that has led to a tightening of capacity in the launch services market. The Proton loss, along with a January Sea Launch failure, have temporarily left satellite operators with few launch options, and some operators have felt compelled to secure...