SES: AMC-14 a Total Loss
SES AMERICOM has declared to insurers that its recently launched satellite - AMC-14 - is considered a total loss after a launch anomaly last month failed to place the spacecraft in its proper orbit.
In a statement, SES said it was making the declaration due to a lack of viable options to reposition the satellite in geostationary orbit.
AMC-14 was built by Lockheed Martin and was launched last month on a Proton/Breeze M rocket provided by International Launch Services. The mission took place from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
Engineers had hoped the satellite could be saved with maneuvers that would place the bird into its correct orbit. Despite an initial assessment that appeared encouraging, more detailed examinations by SES and Lockheed Martin engineers determined that the various scenarios could not provide a reasonable chance of success, SES said in a statement.
The satellite was going to be utilized by EchoStar, which was going to use the capacity to expand high-def offerings for DISH Network. The company had no comment on the SES news.
This sucks. I was kind of looking forward to the anti Dish whining per D*'s taking as light lead in HD offerings..And I was looking forward to more work. Oh well
As Porky Pig says..that's all folks...
SES AMERICOM has declared to insurers that its recently launched satellite - AMC-14 - is considered a total loss after a launch anomaly last month failed to place the spacecraft in its proper orbit.
In a statement, SES said it was making the declaration due to a lack of viable options to reposition the satellite in geostationary orbit.
AMC-14 was built by Lockheed Martin and was launched last month on a Proton/Breeze M rocket provided by International Launch Services. The mission took place from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
Engineers had hoped the satellite could be saved with maneuvers that would place the bird into its correct orbit. Despite an initial assessment that appeared encouraging, more detailed examinations by SES and Lockheed Martin engineers determined that the various scenarios could not provide a reasonable chance of success, SES said in a statement.
The satellite was going to be utilized by EchoStar, which was going to use the capacity to expand high-def offerings for DISH Network. The company had no comment on the SES news.
This sucks. I was kind of looking forward to the anti Dish whining per D*'s taking as light lead in HD offerings..And I was looking forward to more work. Oh well
As Porky Pig says..that's all folks...
