Rivada Spec Networks, already suffering much negative press about missed financial deadlines, is now reported to have lost 12 dedicated launch slots on SpaceX. It is not said whether Rivada has paid ‘deposits’ on the launches when the contracts were signed. If deposits were paid then it is said that they will have been forfeited. Meanwhile, SpaceX can re-sell the reserved launches.
The lost launches follow on from Rivada losing its Liechtenstein issued priority spectrum filings because of non-payment of its annual 5 million Swiss Francs performance bond. Reports suggest that then Liechtenstein regulator was extremely patient in urging Rivada to pay up. Vaterland, the national newspaper of Liechtenstein, reported that the regulator was “deeply shaken” by Rivada’s failure to pay its annual bond. “The office has concerns about the financing of the project and has now lost confidence in Rivada”.
Meanwhile, Rivada on November 15th started an online marketing and awareness campaign featuring images of dozens of its staffers (its Rivada Space Academy), and stated, “We’ll let you in on a secret: it is our people and culture development platform, our (Rivada) place to get to know each other, to learn and share experiences, to translate our values into behaviors needed to achieve our goals. Do you want to work in a place where everyone, from C-suite to last month’s new joiner is an internal trainer, your trainer? Be fast, reach out to us […] and join the team.”
Meanwhile, a critic of Rivada, Pierre Lionnet (Research & MD at Eurospace) followed up the news by saying that he had heard directly from Rivada’s CEO Declan Ganley saying “multiple times that funding was secured? I’ve seen shady operations in the ‘newspace’ but Rivada Space tops them all.”
