Does Insurers have a pie in Space ?.. ... The Xichang Satellite Launch Center (XSLC), is People's Republic of China space vehicle launch facility (spaceport) approximately 64 kilometres (40 miles) northwest of Xichang, Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan.The facility became operational in 1984 and is primarily used to launch powerful thrust rockets and geostationary communications and weather satellites.
ZX
18 (ChinaSat 18) is a Chinese communications satellite.The first of the third-generation DFH-4 craft,
was sent into space on 19th Aug 2019 using a Long March 3B launcher. However,
despite initial reports that the satellite had arrived in its correct
geosynchronous orbit, it has since been experiencing ‘anomalies’.Media reports suggested that its days might
be numbered. The launch last week was undertaken by a Long March 3B launcher,
the most powerful vehicle on the Chinese space fleet. Normally capable of
launching up to 5,100kg into a geosynchronous transfer orbit, this particular
vehicle was the 3B/G2 version, enhanced to increase its capacity up to 5,500kg.
The
satellite was launched on Monday 19th August from the Xichang space center in
Sichuan, Southwest China. The Long March 3B launcher successfully took off at
20:03 local time. Following this, separation into the correct geosynchronous
transfer orbit (GTO) was confirmed.However, shortly after separation, it was
reported by Xinhua that the satellite was experiencing ‘anomalies’, and that
engineers were investigating. According to Seradata, recovery attempts were
underway.Once launched, it should have been able to provide connectivity for 15
years or more.
There
have been failures of space missions - Seradata reports that the satellite was
insured to the value of $250m, which adds more interest for the Insurers.Many
other DFH-4 satellites have been successfully launched, with more than 20 in
orbit;however, two have notably
suffered failure, prematurely ending their service.Sinosat 2, launched in 2006,
failed to deploy its solar arrays. Also, in 2007, NIGCOMSAT 1 also had a
failure of its solar array. However, of the DFH-4E satellites, of which
Chinasat 18 is one, only one other has been built. APStar 6D, owned by APT
Satellite Company Ltd, is due to be launched later in 2019.
The
deployment of Chinasat 18 marked an expansion of China Satcom’s coverage across
the nation. One partner set to benefit from this was Viasat, who earlier this
year announced a partnership to provide inflight connectivity to airline
passengers in Chinese airspace.Passengers on Viasat connected aircraft were to
be allowed to roam onto China Satcom’s network when in Chinese airspace, and
conversely passengers on China Satcom equipped aircraft would be able to roam
globally on the Viasat network.Aside of Viasat, Israel based networking
specialist Gilat were also involved in the project. According to a press
release, Gilat was to provide the ground network for Chinasat 18 and its sister
satellite, Chinasat 16.
For
China Satcom, the successful deployment of Chinasat 18 would have completed the
company’s HTS Ka-band coverage over all of China. The loss of the satellite
must come as a significant blow to the company.After lifting off from the
Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China at 8:03 p.m. local time
(8:03 a.m. EDT; 1203 GMT), the rocket should have deployed the Zhongxing-18
satellite, also known as Chinasat-18, into orbit about 25 minutes into the
mission, according to NASAspaceflight.com. However, more than half a day later,
officials were not able to provide any update on the condition of the satellite or
whether it separated from the rocket as planned.
The apparent failure of
the ChinaSat-18 telecom satellite, which remains in a transfer orbit more than
a week after launch, has underwriters bracing for a claim that is all but
certain to wipe out space insurance profits for a second year in a row,
according to spacenews.com and other media.Reports suggest thatChinaSatcom’s
ChinaSat-18 satellite, which industry sources told SpaceNews was insured for
$250 million, encountered a potentially mission-ending problem following its
reportedly successful Aug. 19 launch aboard a Long March 3B rocket.
Though
underwritten by the People’s Insurance Company of China, ChinaSat-18 was
reinsured on the international market, meaning foreign insurers are likely on
the hook for much of any claim China Satcom files, industry sources said.
Industry sources said paying for a ChinaSat-18 claim, combined with July’s Vega
launch failure that destroyed the Falcon Eye-1 remote sensing satellite the UAE
insured for around $415 million, will likely exceed total insurance premiums
for 2019. “It’s definitely going to be a losing year” for space insurers, one
industry source said. “Last year was a losing year and this year is going to be
a losing year also.”
ChinaSat-18
was rumored to have suffered a solar array deployment failure as soon as doubts
about the mission surfaced. “People are starting to draw their own conclusions,
but there’s nothing official,” an industry source said. China Satcom has yet to
file a claim, the source said. Of China’s 21 DFH-4-based satellites, two have
suffered solar array issues — the Nigerian communication satellite NigComSat-1
in 2008 and SinoSat-2 in 2006 — leading to their failures.If ChinaSat-18 failed to deploy its solar
arrays, its batteries would likely have become depleted by now, making it impossible to
contact the satellite.
China
Satcom operates 16 geostationary satellites. The company’s expansion into
Ka-band had caught the attention of U.S. operator Viasat, which announced a
partnership with China Satcom in April to provide inflight connectivity in
China using its network and domestic market access.
So another big loss looms over Insurers.
With
regards – S. Sampathkumar
31st
Aug 2019.
