Posted: Sat, Feb 10, 2024, 11:48 AM ET (1648 GMT)
Viasat is preparing to put a satellite with a malfunctioning antenna into service. Company executives said Tuesday that ViaSat-3 F1 should be providing connectivity to commercial aircraft by the middle of the year. The spacecraft lost more than 90% of its one terabit per second of capacity when its large antenna failed to deploy properly after launch last year. Viasat said it is making changes to ViaSat-3 F2, which has a similar antenna, pushing back its launch to the first half of next year. ViaSat-3 F3 has a different antenna and remains scheduled for launch in the fourth quarter. Viasat filed a $421 million insurance claim for the hobbled spacecraft and has already received initial payments.

Related Links:

•  SpaceNews article
•  Viasat press release