PARIS — The inaugural flight of China’s new-generation communications satellite platform is almost certain to be declared a total loss and carries a total insurance package of about $250 million, industry officials said.
More than a week after its Aug. 19 launch, the Chinasat-18 Ku- and high-throughput (HTS) Ka-band satellite has been unable to deploy its solar arrays. Its batteries will have been depleted, leaving little hope of a recovery.
The new platform, called DFH-4E, featured multiple improvements in payload and power over its . . .
To view the entire article, become a subscriber!
