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SpaceX to Reuse a First Stage Booster to Launch a Commercial Satellite

posted by CoolHand on Wednesday August 31 2016, @07:58PM   Printer-friendly
from the selective-recycling dept.

takyon writes:

SES will launch a satellite using one of SpaceX's "flight-proven" rockets, or in other words, used goods:

The telecommunications giant SES is boldly going where no company has gone before by making history in inking a deal today, Aug. 30, to fly the expensive SES-10 commercial satellite on the first ever launch of a 'Flight-Proven' SpaceX booster.

Luxembourg-based SES and Hawthrone, CA-based SpaceX today jointly announced the agreement to "launch SES-10 on a flight-proven Falcon 9 orbital rocket booster" before the end of this year. "The satellite, which will be in a geostationary orbit and expand SES's capabilities across Latin America, is scheduled for launch in Q4 2016. SES-10 will be the first-ever satellite to launch on a SpaceX flight-proven rocket booster," according to a joint statement.

That first launch of a flight-proven Falcon 9 first stage will use the CRS-8 booster that delivered a SpaceX Dragon to the International Space Station in April 2016. The reflight could happen as soon as October 2016.

-- OriginalOwner_ adds The Register.

Original Submission #1   Original Submission #2

 
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  • (Score: 1) by aim on Thursday September 01 2016, @08:29AM

    by aim (6322) on Thursday September 01 2016, @08:29AM (#396093)

    Yes, they do have insurance, and SES said that the insurance premium difference between a new rocket and the used rocket was insignificant. I'm sure any additional premiums were greatly offset by the discount provided by SpaceX.

    Note that back when SES had their first Astra satellite launched (on an Ariane 4 IIRC), they were unable to pay for insurance - that launch was an all-or-nothing bet, that ultimately paid off.