Commercial pressures are forcing satellite manufacturers to cut corners when conducting tests, according to Christopher O'Gwen, assistant vice-president of US insurance company Aviation Underwriters.
Last year was one of the worst on record for the space industry, with losses of $1.9 billion - amounting to nearly double the $950 million premiums received by insurers. The losses were accounted for by 24 in-orbit satellite failures and three launch failures.
The trend used to be the reverse, with more launch failures taking place than in-orbit malfunctions. The trend of satellite flops "-is very disturbing", says O'Gwen.
Launches have also been delayed by failures discovered during final testing - recently including Japan's JCSAT 6, scheduled to fly on an Atlas IIAS, and the Telstar 6 on a Proton.
Frustrated at having launch schedules disrupted by delays in the delivery of satellites to the launch site, Arianespace plans to introduce a "first in, first out" service. Pierre Gojat, the European commercial launcher company's regional director of sales and marketing, says that, if delivery of a satellite scheduled for a particular launch is held up, it will be bumped off the flight and the next one in the queue will fly.
Arianespace was one of several hit by failure to deliver satellites on time last year.
Source: Flight International
