Amazon Announces Historic Launch Procurement
On April 5, Amazon.com, Inc. (Amazon) announced that it selected Arianespace S.A., Blue Origin, LLC and United Launch Alliance, LLC (ULA), under separate contracts, to provide launch services using the Ariane 6, New Glenn and Vulcan Centaur launch vehicles, respectively, for Project Kuiper, Amazon’s planned 3,236-satellite low Earth orbit constellation, which will provide broadband Internet services globally. Together, the contracts cover a total of up to 83 launch missions, with a baseline of 38 Vulcan, 18 Ariane 6 and 12 New Glenn launch missions, for an unspecified number of satellites over a period of five years. This represents the largest-ever commercial procurement of launch services. Amazon previously announced that it selected ABL Space Systems Company to launch two Kuiper prototype satellites using the RS1 launch vehicle and ULA to perform nine launch missions for Kuiper using the Atlas V launch vehicle.
Avanti Cuts $550m of Debt Through Equity Swap
On April 13, Avanti Communications Group plc (Avanti) announced that it reduced its outstanding debt from $810m to $260m after reaching an agreement with investors to exchange debt for equity in the company. As a result, Solus Alternative Asset Management and HPS Investment Partners have become Avanti’s largest shareholders.
