LONDON, Dec (Shanghai: 600875.SS – news) 8 (Reuters) – British satellite company Inmarsat (LSE: ISAT.L – news) will switch to using Arianespace from rival SpaceX to launch a new satellite to provide broadband connectivity to air passengers, it said on Thursday.
The S-band satellite had been scheduled to launch with technology billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX but Inmarsat (Other OTC: IMASF – news) said setbacks to SpaceX’s launch schedule prompted it to turn to Arianespace instead.
Inmarsat said on Thursday that European-owned Arianespace will launch the S-band satellite in mid-2017.
SpaceX has been forced to delay December rocket launches until January as an investigation continues into why one rocket burst into flames on Sept. 1.
SpaceX has…