Proton delay hurts ILS
August 5, 2014
International Launch Services (ILS), which handles the sale to ‘western’ clients of rocket launches by the Russian-built Proton system, is laying off staff.
ILS has been badly hurt by a series of embarrassing failures by the Proton rocket, in particular the complete loss of a Russian Express-AM4R satellite in May. A failure review board has yet to publish its findings as to the cause of the crash. ILS had nothing to do with that launch, but cannot resume its flights until the review board makes its recommendations.
A statement from ILS says that “roughly” 25 per cent of staff would go, although the staff reduction was conducted “to align better with our current level of business. None of the staff reductions were performance-related,” ILS President, Phil Slack said.
Perhaps more tellingly is the message in the statement that Proton is seeing a cut-back in its core launch business. ILS now says it will be geared to making just 3-4 missions annually compared with the anticipated 7-8 launches each year, and hence the lay-offs.
While not mentioned the statement reflects the addition of SpaceX is making to the launch services market. Billionaire Elon Musk is backing the further development of SpaceX and it is targeting up to 12 launches a year – and perhaps more.
Other posts by Chris Forrester:
- Amazon’s Kuiper-1 launch brought forward
- SES and Eutelsat possibly in line for C-band $bn bonus
- Consultant: “European satellite mergers are failing”
- Ligado attempts to unravel Inmarsat L-band agreement
- SpaceX complains over South Africa investment rules
- Vodafone, AST test video call game changer
- Eutelsat shares hit all time low
- SpaceX valued at $350bn
- Sky New Zealand suffering satellite problems