spacetoday.net: SpaceX and ORBCOMM renegotiate launch contract

Posted: Wed, Jan 2, 2013, 7:29 AM ET (1229 GMT)
Falcon 9 launch on first mission (SpaceX)

ORBCOMM announced last week that it has renegotiated a launch contract with SpaceX for the launch of its next generation communications satellite constellation. The new agreement covers the launch of up to 18 ORBCOMM satellites on two Falcon 9 launches between the second quarter of 2013 and the second quarter of 2014, for a total price of $42.6 million. The two companies had previously signed a contract in August 2009 to cover the launches using SpaceX's smaller Falcon 1 rockets, for $46.6 million; SpaceX subsequently retired the Falcon 1, citing a lack of demand. The satellites will replace the company's original fleet of satellites that provide messaging and other low-date-rate communications. A demonstration satellite for this new constellation launched as a secondary payload on a Falcon 9 launch in October, but was placed in a low orbit as a result of a problem with one of the Falcon 9's first stage engines.