Arianespace is grabbing orbital headlines this month, much to the chagrin of SpaceX. The French company was assigned a marquee satellite-launch contract by Immarsat, while the US firm wrestles with operational uncertainty. The Elon Musk-backed company was derailed by the explosion of a Falcon9 rocket in September. We suspect that there is a growing list of corporations that are looking to rewrite their service agreements. Indeterminate delays are expensive; insiders suggest that an operational satellite can generate more than $6 million a month in baseline revenue for the owner. Commercial maneuverings will become common in the open-for-business space industry. As a sign of the times, Lockheed Martin-backed ULA now offers a satellite-launch package for as little as $109 million, if not less in some cases. ■
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