ViaSat-3 Americas antenna anomaly (2023)

The ViaSat-3 Americas antenna anomaly is the failed deployment of the large reflector on that Viasat satellite, and the in-orbit claim that followed. On July 12, 2023, Viasat announced an unexpected event during that deployment. The satellite had been launched on a Falcon Heavy in late April. The satellite was meant to deliver about one terabit per second of Ka-band capacity over the Americas. In February 2024 the operator said it would enter service at less than 10% of that. Total coverage, split between a main policy and a total-loss-only policy, was $420 million, and the claim filed came to $421 million. The first proceeds came in during the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, which Viasat reports together with those for Inmarsat-6 F2. For the market the claim reads as a constructive total loss: the launch plus one year policy provides that beyond a capacity loss threshold, the insurer pays in full. This clause makes satellites with deployable antennas hard to underwrite. The defect shows up weeks after a flawless orbit insertion, and leaves no debris to inspect; the investigation relies on telemetry and the manufacturer's ground tests. With Inmarsat-6 F2, lost the same year after a power failure, 2023 saw claims far exceed the premiums of the whole line. Capacity contracted, in-orbit rates rose, and several underwriters left the space market. The one caveat is residual value: a satellite that keeps 10% of its capacity still earns revenue, which the settlement takes into account through a salvage sharing arrangement.