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Market keeps fingers crossed for record Ariane 5 launch
As SatelliteFinance goes to press, the space insurance community will be anxiously watching the skies to see if the Ariane 5 launch of SES’ Astra 3B and the German ComSatBW-2 is successful.
In total, the flight is insured for approximately US$700m,…
As SatelliteFinance goes to press, the space insurance community will be anxiously watching the skies to see if the Ariane 5 launch of SES’ Astra 3B and the German ComSatBW-2 is successful.
In total, the flight is insured for approximately US$700m, believed to be a record amount insured for a single commercial launch. This is compared to the estimated US$800m to US$850m of income that the satellite insurance market estimates it will earn this year. Marsh placed insurance for both Astra 3B and ComSatBW-2.
As one broker remarked to SatelliteFinance: “It is safe to say pretty much the whole market is exposed one way or another,” adding that “most will close to their maximum available lines on this.”
Another source commented: “They are really pushing the envelope on available capacity with this launch.”
A failure would obviously not just be hugely damaging in terms of the initial insurance claim cost, but also in the knock-on effect of an Arian 5 rocket being out of action in the aftermath. However, the Ariane 5 has not suffered a launch failure in the last 35 flights over a period of seven years, so its track record bodes well.
