# Facebook Satellite Insurance Cost? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 1, 2016, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-satellite-insurance-cost/764732 "2016-09-01T23:17:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2016, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-satellite-insurance-cost/764732/1 "2016-09-01T23:17:10Z")
I assume Zuckerburg had the Facebook satellite that exploded insured. How much did he probably have to spend to get a policy from Lloyd’s of London (or whatever insurance company)? ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2016, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-satellite-insurance-cost/764732/2 "2016-09-02T00:15:31Z")
I suspect that Lloyds (along with every other insurer) would be reluctant to offer insurance without some reasonable idea of the chance of a loss. And I doubt there’s anything like enough information on Space X launch reliability to accurately estimate that. Which implies either that there was no insurance, or the cost was really high (probably enough to make self-insuring attractive). ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2016, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-satellite-insurance-cost/764732/3 "2016-09-02T00:26:56Z")
No, commercial satellites are routinely insured against loss. I just don’t know how much the policy costs. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2016, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-satellite-insurance-cost/764732/4 "2016-09-02T02:45:53Z")
While there is insurance available, it may not have covered this situation. The satellite is usually insured separately for transportation to the launch area. Then a different policy would cover from launch to operational condition in orbit. This incident was after delivery and during a full-up test; not a launch. It’ll be interesting to see how this shakes out. Lawyers for sure. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2016, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-satellite-insurance-cost/764732/5 "2016-09-02T02:55:03Z")
> **[Satellite insurance](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellite_insurance)** > > Satellite insurance is a specialized branch of aviation insurance in which, as of 2000, about 20 insurers worldwide participate directly. Others participate through reinsurance contracts with direct providers. It covers three risks: relaunching the satellite if the launch operation fails; replacing the satellite if it is destroyed, positioned in an improper orbit, or fails in orbit; and liability for damage to third parties caused by the satellite or the launch vehicle. > In 1965 the first satelli... To late to edit. Apparently pre-launch insurance covers from manufacturing transport, through testing, up to actual launch ignition. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2016, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-satellite-insurance-cost/764732/6 "2016-09-02T04:21:39Z")
Hmmmm. I wonder what the deductible might be? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2016, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-satellite-insurance-cost/764732/7 "2016-09-02T11:46:24Z")
The [Amos-6 satellite](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amos-6) was owned by [Spacecom](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spacecom), an Israeli communications satellite operator. It’s only a “Facebook satellite” in that Facebook was one of 7 partners in the [internet.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet.org) venture, which had an agreement to lease bandwidth on the satellite. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2016, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-satellite-insurance-cost/764732/8 "2016-09-02T15:28:26Z")
A member of my family actually works in satellite insurance. Next time I see her I’ll ask how much it would have cost. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2016, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-satellite-insurance-cost/764732/9 "2016-09-02T18:27:40Z")
[When a Commercial Rocket Blows Up, Who Pays?](http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-09-02/when-a-commercial-rocket-blows-up-who-pays) Article on satellite insurance, with specifics on this one.