Viasat’s new broadband satellite could be a total loss (due to antenna hardware issues)
The mission now in peril is thought to be valued at roughly $700 million.
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If the insurance company is really on the hook for 420 million, there are probably some interesting discussion going on right now about a cheaper robotic repair mission or so.
A crewed mission won't happen because of cost and physics reasons, but it would be cool to see a Falcon Heavy launch a stripped down Dragon with two crew and a kick stage for a GEO servicing mission.
Considering it costs $67 million just to launch a reusable falcon 9 they’d have to be 100% sure of the outcome to bet on such a thing.
If not you’re $100+ mill out and still have to replace a €420 million satellite..
I think you're right that a dedicated Falcon launch would be needed for getting something like a Northrop's MEV out there, but if the spacecraft was "only" a smallsat with a few commercial arms on board, that might fit on a SpaceX rideshare for a lot less money.
Geostationary usually doesn’t have too many rides shares if I’m not mistaken. Cost is the launch, not the unused capacity.
I was picturing something boosting itself (or riding a tug) from a rideshare dropoff in LEO. The Transporter missions have all been to SSO, though, so that isn't super helpful.
Suppose that could be an option. Would need to be big, though, to have enough propellant to get to GEO.
![[Ars Technica] Viasat’s new broadband satellite could be a total loss](https://lemdro.id/pictrs/image/20b66837-5ffa-4100-9147-733f628c20b3.jpeg?format=webp&thumbnail=256)
![[Ars Technica] Viasat’s new broadband satellite could be a total loss](https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/b84573d9-c47c-47d8-8976-d754b21e12cf.jpeg?format=webp&thumbnail=256)