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0 pointsjoshdotsmith9y ago0 comments

That's tons of work. Lots of heart and soul went into that. I can still be sad for people even if we didn't lose people.

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artursapek9y ago

Not to mention money. $200MM investment into space, gone.

https://www.reddit.com/live/xix3m9uqd06g/updates/613f262a-70...

db48x9y ago

The money didn't disappear, it paid the people working on the project all the way down to the miners who dug up the minerals and the fast-food workers who made the cheeseburger that engineer bought that one time.

It did fail to earn a return, however.

300bps9y ago

You're advocating the Broken Window Fallacy.

http://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/08/broken-window-fal...

6 more replies

thegranderson9y ago

I would guess they lost a lot less than the $200m initial investment, which included design & development of both the satelite and ground control systems. My assumption would be that only the satellite itself was destroyed in this explosion.

From the quote below, they reference $85 to cover launch, insurance, and 1 year of operating costs. Presumably that insurance would cover some of the costs of an event like this?

Quote from an article on this (http://www.globes.co.il/en/article-1000759794)

Spacecom Satellite Communications' (TASE:SCC) board of director has authorized management to sign a contract with Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. (IAI) (TASE: ARSP.B1) to build and buy the Amos 6 communications satellite for $200 million. IAI will build the satellite and its ground control systems, and will provide operating services. The company plans to launch the Amo6 in the first quarter of 2015, and its operating life will be at least 16 years.

Spacecom estimates that the cost of launching, insuring and one year's operation of the Amos 6 will be $85 million. The company has to pick a launch company. Spacecom said that it will seek financing for the Amos 6 from IAI and foreign sources.

falcolas9y ago

I would be quite surprised if the payload was not insured. Doesn't make it any easier on the people who poured their lives into the effort, but the owner will not be out any substantial investment capitol; just potential earnings until its replacement can be pushed up.

Symbiote9y ago

Is that the manufacturing cost, or does it include the development cost?

Making another should be cheaper than making the first one; and this is Amos-6 -- how different is it from Amos-5?

AdrianoKF9y ago

Judging by the Wikipedia articles, Amos-5 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amos-5) and Amos-6 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amos-6) use entirely different satellite buses.

Amos-5 uses the Russian-built Ekspress 1000H, while Amos-6 is only the second satellite to use the Israeli AMOS 4000.

Bud9y ago

One could also feel sad for the (possibly millions) of people in Africa who were depending on this satellite launch to give them internet service. The difference between having internet, and not having it, is huge, especially in the developing world. This has real human consequences.

tomjen39y ago

The actual chips may have to be made again, but code that has been written once should be fine to just load on again.

Yeah it sucks, but it could have been a lot worse.

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