[Satellite TODAY Insider 12-07-10] The Skyterra 1 mobile communications satellite is having problems deploying its 22-meter reflector antenna, according to statements released to Satellite TODAY Insider.
     Harris, along with prime contractor Boeing assembled a joint team on Dec. 2 to see if it was possible to use satellite manipulation to fully deploy the antenna. The companies also are weighing the decision to issue a ground command to jolt the satellite in order to fully deploy the antenna.
    The satellite, launched Nov. 14 by an ILS Proton Breeze-M launch vehicle from Baikonur for Harbinger Capital Partners and its LightSquared hybrid venture, is scheduled to enter service early next year as it continues in-orbit testing. With the antenna being a key component of SkyTerra’s future business model, Boeing said SkyTerra 2, currently under construction, could launch within a year, if necessary.
    The potential loss of SkyTerra 1 could issue a devastating blow to the operator as well as its insurers, according to a space insurance official, who asked not to be named for this story. “It’s not a good time for our industry to take on an expense that could exceed $250 million [for SkyTerra 1]. With [Eutelsat’s] W3B loss costing $325 million and the three uninsured Russian Glonass birds lost over the weekend, this will have a serious impact on our premiums this year,” the official said.
    The satellite glitch also adds to a series of problems faced by financier Harbinger Capital, which is relying on SkyTerra 1 to capitalize on the next-generation 4G broadband communications market. According to documents issued by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Harbinger’s founder and hedge fund manager Philip Falcone is currently under investigation by U.S. federal authorities over whether he used company funds to pay a personal income tax bill. Investigators also suspect Harbinger of giving “preferential treatment to certain clients,” the documents said.
    Falcone has publicly denied the charges. However, investors Goldman Sachs, Blackstone Group and New York State’s public pension fund have moved to withdraw their own stake in Harbinger, the SEC documents said.

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