Confirmed: Tomorrow’s OneWeb launch on Soyuz-2 rocket cancelled
Russia’s state-run press today confirmed that the launch tomorrow of another 36 OneWeb satellites on a Soyuz-2 rocket from Baikonur has been cancelled.
The decision was announced by Roscosmos head Dmitry Rogozin.
He also instructed to stop preparations for the launch of British OneWeb communications satellites from three spaceports. “All the launches from all Russian launch pads in Kourou, in Baikonur and at the Vostochny Cosmodrome involving the OneWeb company are to be stopped,” the Roscosmos CEO said.
Rogozin has already said that Russia will not refund OneWeb any money it paid for any of the cancelled launches. Nor will Russia return the OneWeb satellites in Kazakhstan to OneWeb.
Meanwhile, it appears that OneWeb is aggressively searching for new launch alternatives.
“We’re looking at U.S., Japanese and Indian options,” Chris McLaughlin, OneWeb’s chief of government, regulatory affairs and engagement, said March 3. “But in the first instance, we’re pointing to Ariane and saying you still owe us a number of launches.”
This statement implies that OneWeb is trying to get Arianespace to pick up the cost of any launches where Russia has been paid but will not launch. This way OneWeb won’t have to pay twice for the launch. This strategy will only work if the partners in the European Space Agency, which owns Arianespace, decide to cover OneWeb’s losses to Russia, which makes this a political decision.
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The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Russia’s state-run press today confirmed that the launch tomorrow of another 36 OneWeb satellites on a Soyuz-2 rocket from Baikonur has been cancelled.
The decision was announced by Roscosmos head Dmitry Rogozin.
He also instructed to stop preparations for the launch of British OneWeb communications satellites from three spaceports. “All the launches from all Russian launch pads in Kourou, in Baikonur and at the Vostochny Cosmodrome involving the OneWeb company are to be stopped,” the Roscosmos CEO said.
Rogozin has already said that Russia will not refund OneWeb any money it paid for any of the cancelled launches. Nor will Russia return the OneWeb satellites in Kazakhstan to OneWeb.
Meanwhile, it appears that OneWeb is aggressively searching for new launch alternatives.
“We’re looking at U.S., Japanese and Indian options,” Chris McLaughlin, OneWeb’s chief of government, regulatory affairs and engagement, said March 3. “But in the first instance, we’re pointing to Ariane and saying you still owe us a number of launches.”
This statement implies that OneWeb is trying to get Arianespace to pick up the cost of any launches where Russia has been paid but will not launch. This way OneWeb won’t have to pay twice for the launch. This strategy will only work if the partners in the European Space Agency, which owns Arianespace, decide to cover OneWeb’s losses to Russia, which makes this a political decision.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
I can’t figure out what Rogozin is thinking with these moves. The Russian space program is going to be completely destroyed by this, they’re losing virtually all their customers and at the same time making it clear that you’d have to be insane to sign up for the future. And while it may not be worth the time and effort, I can’t think any of the international trade organizations and courts would approve “no, we’re not refunding your launch costs, and we’re not giving you back your satellites, either.” Maybe the no refunds, but keeping the payload is just stupidity.
Yes, I’d love to see the reasoning behind “we’re keeping your satellites”.
@V-Man
“Yes, I’d love to see the reasoning behind ‘we’re keeping your satellites’.”
The same reasoning where when DC/NYC cancels Russia,
Russia cancels you!
This decision will quickly chill anyone’s consideration to use Russia as a launch platform. Even if Russia offered “free” launch services, would you trust them with your satellites? Uh…no!
Putin is making some moves that may turn things around. His tactics and ethics is self evident by the way he eliminates his competition. But this has the Davos forum, build back better crowd shaking in their boots because he’s not going to bow down before them or allow Schwab to do to Russia what they’ve already done to the United States.
https://halturnerradioshow.com/index.php/en/news-page/world/boom-russia-returns-to-the-gold-standard-for-its-currency
The ruble is backed by gold? And the 30 trillion in US debt is backed in by paper? Air?
https://anti-empire.com/you-heard-the-ruble-is-tanking-actually-the-us-dollar-is-in-freefall-vs-russias-real-currency/