OneWeb compensated for Russia cancellations
September 8, 2022
OneWeb has reportedly reached an agreement with Arianespace over the cancelled Russian launches of OneWeb’s satellites.
The cancellation came about because of the Russian war with Ukraine, and which impacted OneWeb. However, the actual launch contract was between OneWeb and Arianespace, and it was Arianespace which held the relationship with Russia.
Russia currently is holding onto 36 OneWeb satellites at its launch site at Baikonur in Kazakhstan, and Russia was responsible for a planned six further launches over this year and next.
Arianespace will now part-compensate OneWeb for its pre-payments for launches that will not happen. The extra-large pre-payments were in place because OneWeb itself was going through its own bankruptcy Chapter 11 reconstruction.
One benefit for OneWeb is that Arianespace will fund payment for the satellite launch adaptors needed for two upcoming replacement rocket launches coming from India’s GSLV rockets.
The news of the settlement came from Eutelsat’s CEO Eva Berneke, speaking to press ahead of the launch of Eutelsat’s Konnect VHTS craft. Eutelsat is in the process of acquiring OneWeb. She reported that the insurance industry was involved in the compensation process.
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