Sea Launch had a rough start in 2008 with the January launch failure that destroyed the NSS-8 satellite. Since then, the company has been working hard toward a return to flight in November. Sea Launch CEO Rob Peckham talks to Via Satellite Associate Editor Mark Holmes about the impact of the failure and why he is optimistic for the future of Sea Launch.
Via Satellite: How would you assess the launch services market and your company's performance?
Peckham: I look at the overall commercial launch services market as being upbeat. We are finally climbing back up the hill from where this commercial market rolled years ago. I think overall this market is very positive and healthy.
I am extremely proud of the performance of this company over the last year. We started off the year with an unsuccessful launch, and we have recovered from that and we are completely on schedule. While we were ready to resume launch operations in October, we are currently preparing for our next launch in November due to a delay in spacecraft arrival. We have signed two new contracts during the course of the year while we have been focused on our repair and recertification efforts.
Via Satellite: What lessons can the company learn from your launch failure?
Peckham: I don’t think this will impact our ability to get future business. In the days immediately after our failure, the outpouring of support from our customers and the industry as a whole was heartwarming. This is a difficult industry. I think just by virtue of the fact we signed up two new contracts while we were in our repair and recertification process is testimony to the fact that this is not going to impact our ability to get future business. In light of lessons the company can learn, obviously, there is room for improvement in every launcher, in every piece of launch operations and we will continue to strive for improvement across the board. We are taking what we are learning and applying it to becoming more effective and efficient in what we do.
Via Satellite: How many contracts are you looking to win in 2007? Do you expect the number of contracts available to increase in 2008?
Peckham: We have won two contracts, and we are actively participating in a number of other competitions, which may or may not be concluded by the end of the year. I don’t believe the number of contracts will increase in 2008. I think it will stay around the same as this year. We are going to find ourselves in an evening out period where the number of satellites that need to be launched are going to become more aligned with the number of launch opportunities that there are commercially. I really believe we are going to plateau before whatever new application will cause greater launch demand and then the market will respond accordingly with supply.
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