Enlarge (credit: SpaceX)
SpaceX faces a potentially big payout in the aftermath of last week’s launchpad explosion, after Israeli communications firm Spacecom—which lost one its satellites in the accident—demanded £37 million ($50 million) or a free flight from Elon Musk’s company.
The Falcon 9 rocket, which had been set to deploy an Amos-6 satellite to provide wireless services to sub-Saharan Africa as part of Facebook’s Internet.org initiative, was destroyed on Thursday as it was prepped for launch. Its payload was worth an estimated £150 million ($200 million), while the rocket itself cost £45 million ($60 million).
Shares in Spacecom, which operates three other satellites, plunged by more than 40 percent in the wake of the explosion. Bosses have also suggested that the firm might pursue £153 million ($205 million) from Israel Aerospace Industries, which manufactured the satellite.
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Source: Ars Technica – SpaceX explosion: Amos-6 satellite owner demands M from Musk’s firm