Company SLI (Space Leasing International, the first in the world in the leasing of space assets) to buy two small geosatellites from the two-year-old American startup AscendArc. The amount of the deal is more than $200 million. SLI bets on that, that operators will increasingly lease satellites, and will not buy them out completely. The companies expect to enter into a final agreement within about three months, with launches, planned no earlier than at the end 2028 year.
The general director of the company noted, that leasing can help unlock demand from operators, which are struggling to fund space missions in advance. About half of the world's commercial aircraft fleet is leased, which gives airlines flexibility, preserving capital for expansion. SLI sees a similar opportunity in geostationary orbit, especially since specialists in small GEOs, such as AscendArc, Astranis, Swissto12 and ReOrbit, are promoting cheaper alternatives to traditional multi-ton satellites.
Based in Portland, Oregon, AscendArc recently announced its first commercial sale, a small GEO satellite for South Korea's KT Sat, scheduled for launch in 2027 year. The deal with SLI will give AscendArc a second route to market: operators will be able to lease satellites instead of expensive capital purchases.
Source: https://spacenews.com