Fresh from launching what it claims to be the world’s highest capacity communications satellite in October, US operator ViaSat is already sizing up its second bird.
“Our next satellite will be technically more sophisticated than Viasat-1,”…
Fresh from launching what it claims to be the world’s highest capacity communications satellite in October, US operator ViaSat is already sizing up its second bird.
“Our next satellite will be technically more sophisticated than Viasat-1,” CEO Mark Dankberg told SatelliteFinance on 14 December.
The US$400m ViaSat-1, which is expected to launch commercial services later this year to offer broadband speeds comparable to terrestrial broadband alternatives, such as cable modems and DSL connections, was manufactured by US-based contractor SS/L.
Dankberg said the group was working with a contractor for ViaSat-2 as it refines for the upcoming spacecraft design, but declined to disclose its identity, although SatelliteFinance understands it is not SS/L.
However, he did say the company is aiming for a mid-2015 launch, with all financing options being considered, including tapping export credit agency support.
“We’re looking at all our financing options, and certainly the government-backed credit facilities have been very good deals for other satellite operators,” he said.
“I think the market has evolved a fair amount since we did the Viasat-1 contract. It will certainly be one of the factors that we look at.”
SS/L acquired a minority stake in ViaSat-1, and invested around US$60m in the project so it could hold Canada-facing transponders, which were later sold to Canadian satellite broadband provider Xplornet.
Although Dankberg described the arrangement with SS/L as a “good deal”, he said ViaSat would not necessarily look for the same arrangement for ViaSat-2.
“I think we’re less likely to do a similar deal with the satellite manufacturer, and more open to doing deals with distribution partners, or other consumers of the bandwidth than we are with a satellite manufacturer this time,” he said.
“It could end up with a similar outcome, but with a different transactional mechanism.”
It is also uncertain whether the new bird will be launched to a Manx orbital, as was the case with Viasat-1, which is placed at 115W.
“We’re keeping our options open on orbital slots, and we have a couple in play through different mechanisms, including our own filings,” added Dankberg.
ViaSat-1 was originally set to launch in the summer of 2011, but following manufacturing and rocket delays, it was finally lofted on 19 October.
The full interview will be published in the next edition of SatelliteFinance.
