Asia Broadcast Satellite (ABS) says it is in negotiation with the insurance industry over a partial failure of its recently launched ABS-2 satellite. Their claim is for $214 million, and concerns their key Russian beam. ABS-2 was built b y Space Systems/Loral, and launched in February.

The claim is complicated by the fact that the beam is partially owned by GT Satellite Systems, a Moscow-based but Luxembourg registered business that back in 2011 contracted with ABS for a major portion of the Russian beam. GT Satellite paid $125 million for the capacity.

However, ABS-2 is not a total failure even though the claimed $214 million is an unusually large sum for a partial satellite failure. ABS-2 carries a total of 89 transponders (51 in Ku-band, 32 in C-band and 6 in Ka-band). The satellite launched with 10 separate beam s, but the Russian coverage – and revenues – are seen as crucial to the overall mission.

ABS has a back-up satellite under construction for placing at 75 degrees East, and due for launch later next year.

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