Inmarsat Ditches SpaceX For Satellite Launch; Switches To Arianespace

SpaceX is experiencing yet another drawback as Inmarsat revealed it will now be looking to Arianespace for the launch of its S-band satellite. Once launched, Inmarsat says it will allow air passengers to have access to broadband connectivity. For the Elon Musk-owned company, this adds to the many issues it is already facing this year.

It was in September of this year when Falcon 9 of SpaceX, specifically its rockers, exploded while it was being refueled. While this did not affect Inmarsat, the explosion resulted in Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg taking a jab at SpaceX. Musk though had said that his company had already found out what caused it to happen.

In a press release on its website, Inmarsat confirmed that an agreement with Arianespace had already been signed. The company cited that launch schedule delays in opting away from SpaceX. Under the new agreement, the satellite will be launch sometime in the middle of 2017.

Commenting on the shift from SpaceX, Inmarsat CTO Michele Franci revealed that they are happy that Arianespace was flexible enough and managed to find a slot for a 2017 launch. The launch is important for the U.K.-based company as it will serve to introduce a satellite that is integrated with an air-to-ground network. Developed in collaboration with Deutsche Telekom, the satellite is expected to offer an excellent connectivity experience for consumers flying across Europe.

Based in France, Arianespace was established in 1980 and since then launched a total of at least 540 satellites into space. Regarding the decision of Inmarsat to move away from SpaceX for this launch, CEO and Chairman Stéphane Israël shared that the group is happy to continue with a partnership that had its beginnings in 1981. The group has always been proud of its reliability and it was an honor to be selected again, she continued.