SpaceX’s Starlink has slashed prices in some U.S states for new subscribers to its broadband-by-satellite service.
The normal upfront joining fee for the Starlink kit has been $599 (€552.2m) in the US. That price, considered something of a barrier to entry by some critics, is down to $299 in 29 US states and $499 in all the rest. Starlink is also offering refurbished dishes in some areas for $349.
Starlink explained its strategy and said, “In the US and Canada, new orders in certain regions are eligible for a one-time savings in areas where Starlink has abundant network availability. This one-time savings will be applied to your Starlink kit price when ordering on Starlink.com, and if activated after purchasing from a retailer, a service credit for the listed amount below will be applied.”
The US discount is available to new subscribers in Oregon, California, Iowa, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Vermont, Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Hawaii.
Eumetsat explains Ariane 6 cancellation
At the end of June, a European meteorological service cancelled the order it had in place with Arianespace for the launch next year of its latest Eumetsat satellite (MTG-S1). Eumetsat will now be launched on a SpaceX rocket.
The decision caused consternation and much criticism from the European Space Agency as well as Arianespace. Indeed, the decision of Eumetsat, Europe’s agency for monitoring weather, climate and the environment from space, to cancel the launch of its MTG-S1 satellite on the new European launcher Ariane 6 has triggered some harsh reactions and strong backlash.
In its latest Director’s Perspective, the European Space Policy Institute’s (ESPI) director, H. Ludwig Moeller, illustrates the complexities of decision making in European space programs using the examples of Ariane 6 and Eumetsat’s decision regarding the launch of MTG-S1. He makes the case that the use of space and access to space strategically need to be treated as one.
ESPI explains its view, saying that at its June 26th Council meeting, its member state’s decided to cancel the launch contract for MTG-S1, which was scheduled for 2025 on the third flight of Ariane 6. The decision was taken just days prior to the A6 inaugural flight scheduled for July 9th 2024, triggering unusually strong reactions within the European space community.
It may also have left the global space community wondering about Europe’s ability to define, act on, and implement a tangible, comprehensive and coherent (if not unified) space strategy. It comes moments before Europe seeks to resolve the European launcher crisis, [with the launch of the new Ariane 6].”
ESPI blamed “exceptional circumstances” although did not specifically itemize what they might have been.
ESPI added, “It sometimes appeared that space missions were perceived as something needed to fill up the order books of the launcher, and less so in their benefits and in their own needs. Yet, mission launch dates and lifetime are core requirements of any institutional program (and commercial business plan). Their optimization may translate into hundreds of millions of Euros of difference for a space program or commercial revenues. At times this may be the equivalent of several billions euros in wider economic benefit.”
