New Ipstar Satellite Launch Put Off Again

[george]

iPSTAR put off again

BANGKOK: -- Shin Satellite Plc has once again postponed the launch of its iPSTAR broadband satellite next Monday after discovering an “anomaly” in ground equipment used to prep the launcher.

According to a filing with the Stock Exchange of Thailand yesterday, Arianespace, the company charged with putting iPSTAR – also known as Thaicom 4 – into orbit, has informed Shin of irregularities it encountered in preparing for the launch.

The satellite will be flung into orbit from a launch pad in French Guiana. Arianespace has started new checks of the launch equipment, expected to take a few days, and the company said a new launch date would be announced shortly.

Arianespace said the launcher and the satellite remained safe.

ShinSat’s share price dropped 9.6 per cent to Bt14.10 yesterday from Bt15.60 at the close of trading Wednesday.

A ShinSat source said new launch preparations were expected to take a week. The delay means ShinSat will have to wait longer to realise revenues from iPSTAR.

ShinSat is 51-per-cent-owned by Shin Corp Plc, founded by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s family. iPSTAR is to become Shin Corp’s flagship communications satellite, with a footprint covering the vast Asia-Pacific broadband market.

The launch has now been delayed several times since the project was first made public in 2000.

The satellite was scheduled to leave terra firma late last year, but the launch was put off until the first quarter and then again until next Monday because of time-consuming technical tests.

Early this week the company, in a filing with the SET, said it was ready to launch iPSTAR on Monday.

Yesterday the company informed 20 guests that a trip to watch the launch in French Guiana had been cancelled.

--The Nation 2005-07-08